So What?
by Deprived of Chocolate
Summary: Sakura ran into the hottest teen band in Japan. They want her to join, but she just can't trust in herself. The closer she and the band get, the more she doesn't want to say 'Yes', but the closer she and Syaoran get...
1. Have We Found Her?

**Title:** So What?

**Disclaimer:** Jeez, this one stands for the WHOLE story!!! I DON'T OWN CARD CAPTOR SAKURA NOR DO I OWN THE CHARACTERS OF THAT ANIME/MANGA!

**Genres**: Friendship/Family/Romance/Drama

Greatest thanks to Entrancia! She is so nice! Had to put up with my poor grammar. Go check out her story, _Forget Me Not_! I swear, it's good.

* * *

Sakura groaned as she heard that alarm of hers go off. _What day is it today? _She reluctantly got up and stared at the clock for what seemed like hours before realizing what time it was. 

8:29 A.M. She tilted her head at first…

…and screamed. Because, well, school starts at 8:45. And exactly how long does a regular girl take to ready herself up?

Heh. More hours than the regular guy.

"Oh, no!" She wrestled with her huge, thick covers **(A/N: cold natured person)** and tried to get out of her bed. But when Sakura did, being the clumsy one in her family, she slipped. Sakura stared at the ceiling fan for several seconds until a life-threatening yell sent her back to her room.

"KAIJUU! WAKE UP! IF YOU'RE LATE TO SCHOOL AGAIN, I'LL COME AND WAKE YOU UP MYSELF EVERY MORNING!"

And she certainly didn't want that to happen.

Sakura quickly got up and put on a shirt while putting her hair up, putting on jeans, and slipping on socks, all at the same time. She ran to the bathroom to wash her face and quickly apaplied some eyeliner and mascara.

"KAIJUU!"

She slipped in all of the papers shecould find in her room in her backpack and dashed down the stairs. The smell of bacon and toast filled her nose. She noticed that the table was prepared for two, with plates and all. The bacon was still the pan, being cooked by Touya.

Touya had custody over Sakura. He was over 21, and their father had died long ago along with their mom. Because of that, Touya was stuck living with Sakura until she could take care of herself legally. Otherwise, he would leave her alone. He still cared, but she can take care of herself.

"Thank God, you're awake. You have five minutes!" Touya shouted. Sakura merely walked over to the pan, took out two strips of bacon, and dropped them on the table.

"What do you mean I'm awake? I wake up everyday!" She pouted.

"Whatever. And put the bacon on the plate!"

"Huh? Oh."

* * *

Sakura ran out and unlocked her bike. There were only two minutes left until the school bell rang. And school was on the other side of town. 

"See you!" She called out to Touya who watched her pedal. He knew she would be fine. She was going to be late _again._

He hoped nothing happens, though.

Sakura pedaled as fast as she could go, but the cherry blossom trees were so pretty. She couldn't help but take a detour through the forest. It was cool, with the trees' shadows covering the ground. She went slower._ I love this town! It could be so peaceful…_

The school bell rang out loud. Sakura flinched. _If it weren't for school!_

She went through the trees and came out of the cherry blossom forest, seeing the school was only a hill and a turn away. She pedaled up that hill everyday and was pretty used to it by now. Her favorite part, though, was when the bike went down.

On the top of the hill, Sakura breathed deeply. "Here I go!"

She screamed as the wind whizzed by her. It felt good, and this was the only thing that kept Sakura alive throughout the day.

Most of her days seemed as if it was supposed to go on like that forever: wake up, eat breakfast, rush to school, live until school ends, go home, eat dinner, do homework, read, then go to sleep.

She wasn't bored with it. All she ever dreaded was school. She thought of how it was the second week of school now and that she was a senior. Sakura should be happy, but in truth, she wasn't.

Especially when a stupid boy came running out of the corner she was supposed to turn at. He was in her path and she was still speeding.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Sakura screamed, pulling on her brakes, but the bike was going so fast it swerved on its side. The boy stopped running and merely glanced at her. The only thing she noticed about him was his hair and how messy it was.

"EYAH!"

Thick dust filled the air as the bike crashed into the boy despite her efforts to stop. Sakura groaned and felt the ground on her right side. Her bike was still in between her legs and she felt an additional weight on top of her.

The school bell stopped ringing.

"Syaoran? Syaoran!" someone called out. Sakura heard footsteps.

"Syaoran!" another voice said. It sounded like a guy's. "What happened?!"

Sakura didn't even know she had closed her eyes until she opened them. Vaguely, she heard the boy and girl speaking to each other, and noticed some guy was on top of her. She flinched.

He blinked. Sakura gasped and yelled at the top of her lungs, "GET OFF ME!"

"Come on, Syaoran. " The boy on top of her was lifted off. Sakura saw two people now. The girl was wearing jeans with a spaghetti-strap tank top and had long, flowy purple hair. The guy wore glasses, but it was half-cut. The girl came over and sat beside Sakura. "Eriol, move the bike out, too," she ordered.

The guy, Eriol, complied and slowly took the bike, all scratched and bent. The girl looked at Sakura and noticed her gashes. "These cuts are bleeding!"

Sakura scoffed. "I think they're a bit more than cuts." Her voice was hoarse. Sakura was raggedly breathing now. Just exactly how fast was she going on that bike?

"I'm going to call the ambulance," the girl said, and flashed out a purple cell.

Eriol came over and took a look. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"If I say 'I'm fine', would you believe it?" Sakura turned to his face, smiling a bit.

He chuckled. "No, I don't think so."

"Figured. I wouldn't have either." Sakura took a sharp breath from the pain that was now going through her body. It hurt. Bad.

The boy that was on top of her leaned in. "Is she okay?"

Sakura gave him a 'no' look. Eriol shrugged. "Does she look like it?"

"No," he replied.

"Then she isn't."

"Are you blaming me?" the boy snapped. Sakura winced at his tone of voice. No one was blaming him…

"Hey, if the blame isn't on you, are you saying it's my fault?" she bumped in. The boy slowly turned his head at her while Eriol sighed.

"You were the one who sped down the hill."

Sakura gaped at him. "And you were the one standing there like an idiot!"

He rolled his eyes and walked away. Sakura's eyes budged out. "What is his problem? Any normal guy would at least look after a girl on the ground!"

The boy heard this and smirked. "That's just it. I'm above normal."

The girl, who was finished with talking on the phone, shook her head in disappointment, "Syaoran, be nice. It was no one's fault."

Syaoran pointed at Sakura. "You're right. It's _No One's_ fault."

Sakura didn't show it, but his words hurt more than her wounds.

Eriol threw a rock at him. "What is your problem?! You were running to an intersection, not looking left nor right!"

Syaoran dodged the rock, which hit the ambulance's hood instead. He mumbled out an apology to Eriol.

"Not to me, to her!" Eriol meant Sakura, so Syaoran walked over.

"Sorry," he said while the hospital crew checked over her scratches. One guy in a white uniform sighed in relief.

"Good, it's not so bad. She might want to get a new bike after we stitch her up."

"Thank you." The girl, Tomoyo, smiled

Sakura wasn't paying attention and tried to sort out the boy, whom that girl had called Syaoran. She frowned and thought he might be going through some sort of rebellious phase.

* * *

A sweet voice broke the silence, which was Tomoyo's. "You actually mean that she can play the piano?" Sakura didn't know that after the bike incident, she had fallen asleep, and wondered instead why her eyes wouldn't open. 

_Are my eyes crusty? _

"Yeah." Sakura knew this voice was Touya's. "Sakura's been playing ever since she was three. My mom taught her, but after she passed away, Sakura's been teaching herself."

"Wow," Eriol remarked. None of them knew that Sakura was listening. Her eyes refused to open.

"So why is she not making use of it?" Syaoran's voice came from the other side of the room.

"What do you mean?" Touya asked.

"Like, why doesn't she play in the library or parties if she's so good?" Syaoran asked. His choice of words pissed Sakura off, but she still couldn't see!

"She does," Touya said. "She just likes to play for the little kids though. Whenever Sakura plays the piano in front of adults, she gets stage fright."

"Why? If she can play, then she shouldn't be so afraid," Tomoyo's gentle voice cut in. Sakura liked her voice. It was so pretty…

"Because, she just is. You guys can ask her that," he monotonously informed them.

"So you think she can join?" Eriol asked. It was silent for a minute.

"Decide that for yourselves when you hear her play. I doubt she would play in front of you three, though." Sakura could hear her brother getting up from a seat.

"Can't you record her then or something?" Syaoran was walking towards her; Sakura could feel his footsteps coming closer. A shadow blocked some of the light that was reaching her closed eyes. The smell of cologne overpowered any other smells, and it would've killed her if it didn't smell like…cherry blossoms…

This cologne actually smelled good. It was nice to know that not all colognes were stinky.

"I could, but she could get annoying as hell if she asks me why I'm recording her." Touya sounded like he was smirking. Sakura smiled and couldn't stop from giggling, which surprised everyone in the room.

"If it's you, Touya, I'll always be as annoying as hell. It's my job as your little sister." She finally fot her eyes to work and saw that she was in her room.

Actually, Touya, Tomoyo, Eriol, and Syaoran were in her room. Her pink, childish, fluffy bedroom that Sakura never showed to anyone but her family. She panicked.

"GET OUT!" Sakura sat up, but her right leg bugged her. As soon as her feet touched the floor, she wobbled and crashed. _Again_.

Tomoyo stood up out of reflex and covered her mouth. "Sakura-chan!"

"You have a knack for pushing me on the ground, don't you?" someone gruffed underneath Sakura.

Syaoran.

"HOE! GET OFF!" Sakura slapped him. He stared at her like she was crazy.

"What? You get off!"

Sakura noticed their position and blushed. She stammered, "I'm sorry."

But when she and Syaoran stood up, Sakura fell on him again, causing both to land on the floor a second time.

_This stupid leg!_ she blamed.

Eriol laughed. "You guys are like magnets, huh?"

But neither answered him because of an overly protective brother, who was there the whole time.

"_GAKI_…"

* * *

At school, everyone had seen the incident and they were all talking about it. 

"Look! Kinomoto just jumped him! The nerve of that girl!" a freshman cried out.

A girl scoffed, "Somebody please get that thing out of this school."

"You know, it's not like she's retarded. Why are we picking on her again?"

"Because she's a freak."

"A loser."

"Wimp."

"She's a _hot_ wimp."

"Shut it, Ryoga."

Another person joined in the conversation. "She just crashed into Li Syaoran, you guys!"

"And your point would be?"

"Li Syaoran means Daidouji Tomoyo and Hiiragizawa Eriol!"

"You mean Celestine? That's not likely."

"There's no way they would visit Tomoeda. Like, Syaoran's the coolest guitarist and Tomoyo's the prettiest singer. Eriol's just plain awesome."

"Do you think _she'd_ make friends with them?!" a boy Sakura's age sarcastically commented.

A girl with glasses fidgeted with her skirt. "What's wrong with that?"

"Naoko, no one asked you, so like, um, shut up."

"If there's one thing Celestine needs, though, that would be a pianist."

"I think they're fine the way they are."

"Hey, you think Kinomoto's going to try to join their band? She loves the piano."

"Puh-lease! She's so stupid, I doubt they're even going to look at her."

"That would be hilarious if she embarrassed herself in front of them."

"Serves the slut right."

A chorus of laughter went across the room.

"But really, she can't make a decent grade in Music! Remember that time when she didn't even know how to play the piano?"

"See, Kinomoto, you press down on the key. Press it! Press it!" a boy mimicked that person who had made fun of Sakura during that particular time in music class.

"It's the easiest class ever!"

"There's a real fat chance of her going to college at this rate."

Sakura always dreaded going to school. Because out there, this was how it was like.

And now, she had to go through another school year with it all.

* * *

I luff you all still! Constructive critism!

xoxoxoxoxo

Choco


	2. Skilled or Not?

I'll just put the music stuff in my notes.

Song: _You Are My Love_ (Translated into English) I'm going to do my best and try to put English lyrics up here. But, the song is normally Japanese. I heard the English version of You Are My Love, and it was played with a guitar, so…try to go for the Japanese one.

I do not own it, nor do I own the lyrics. To listen to it, just go to my profile to know how.

Entrancia, whether you like it or not, I will put your name on every chapter you proofread. I'm sure you like it. :D Thanks!

* * *

"Let go!" Syaoran shouted, trying get out of Touya's grip, but Sakura's older brother held on tightly. 

"You gaki," he muttered. "Never ever get on my sister like that."

Sakura sighed, but Eriol and Tomoyo were confused with what was going on.

"Is your brother about to do something to Syaoran?" Tomoyo innocently asked. She folded her hands in front of her as she stood up.

After a few seconds, Eriol chuckled; he figured that Touya was defensive of his little sister. He was possessive of her, too. Just like a certain someone he knew when it came to women sometimes…**(A/N: Talk about that later…)**

"Gaki, touch Sakura like that again and I will pound you," Touya whispered.

_Ding._

"Is that the door?" Eriol queried, not at all concerned about his friend. Touya grunted, dropped the poor boy on his stomach, and bounded downstairs with Eriol following him.

Syaoran scowled. "Why is everyone saying it's my fault Sakura fell on _me_?" he grunted as he tried to get up. When he felt his side, he winced. Sakura also noted the amount of time that took him to stand…

"Because you seem like the type to cause a bunch of trouble," Tomoyo piped. "Don't forget that you are a boy, and boys are usually blamed for forcing themselves on girls." She smiled.

Sakura sweatdropped. "I'm sorry…um…What was your name again?"

"Like you need to know." Syaoran was still trying to stand up, but so far he was just sitting down. Sakura wondered what was wrong with him. _It's got to be because of the bike…_

Having an idea, Sakura walked over to where Syaoran was and sat in front of him. She sat cross-legged and stared.

Syaoran drew back, scowling. "What's your problem?"

Cracking her knuckles, she made a fist and punched him lightly on the stomach. He sucked in his breath at her punch. An annoyed look came up on Sakura's face as she slowly lifted Syaoran's shirt.

There was a long bruised line across his abdomen.

"Why did you not tell the ambulance you were injured?" She was totally outraged, but couldn't show it in front of him because she was worried. Tomoyo looked over and saw his bruise.

"Syaoran!" Tomoyo softly touched the long purple line. He tried not to make a sound and harshly pulled his shirt down.

"I'm fine," he murmured. Sakura widened her eyes. It was all her fault that he had that bruise in the first place, and she certainly didn't want it to get worse.

"Touya!" Sakura shouted, slowly standing up. "He's hurt!"

Syaoran stared at her. "What are you doing?"

Tomoyo followed suit. "Eriol! He's bleeding inside!" She rushed out of the room and could be heard running downstairs.

"This is none of your business," he growled quietly. Sakura turned to face him, looking guilty.

"I caused that bruise." Her gaze fell to the ground. "I didn't want you hurt."

"You fell on me, _twice_," he accused.

She bit her lip. "I know. I'm sorr-"

"SYAORAN?! WHERE IS HE?" someone, a girl, yelled from downstairs. Sakura moved out of the way as fast as she could when she heard a stampede of feet going up. Syaoran glared at her as the door swung.

"SYAORAN!" a girl with long black hair ran over to where he was sitting. Eriol and Touya came in after the girl and looked at him. Tomoyo stood beside Sakura.

"Syaoran," the girl growled and said each syllable longer than she should have. The room fell silent as the sound of a slap echoed.

"ARE YOU AN IDIOT?" She clenched her teeth, grabbing his collar with both hands. "YOU PLAY AN EFFIN' ELECTRIC GUITAR AND YOU KEEP A SECRET THAT YOUR STOMACH IS PURPLE? DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW HEAVY THAT THING IS?!"

Syaoran grunted as the girl lifted his shirt. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. Her cousin was an idiot, but this proved it.

"Meiling, you're making me self-conscious. Please stop." Syaoran snickered and received another slap from her.

"Will you quit it?!"

"Shut your mouth. I'm taking you to the hospital." Meiling pulled him up, but he refused to budge. She sighed.

"Get over your big ego! Just because you're going to a hospital does not mean you are weak!" Meiling kept trying pull him up until Touya silently and easily picked him up and carried him on his back. Sakura opened her mouth in surprise.

"Wha-?" She followed her brother out of her room and down the stairs. "Touya?"

"I'm driving him to the hospital. For all we know, he could've broken a rib," he said calmly while a very mad Syaoran tried to get off his back.

"I'm going with you," murmured Meiling and looked back at the other three. "Come on!" she beckoned.

Tomoyo ran out with them and Eriol put on his shoes. Sakura didn't move.

"Sakura-san?" Eriol queried. "Are you not going?"

She shook her head. "I'd rather not disturb him any longer." She turned around to go up to her room, but saw the piano in the living room.

"Tell Touya I'm staying inside the house," she murmured before sitting on a couch. Eriol nodded slowly and went outside. He saw Touya carefully buckling Syaoran in the car, but the latter was mumbling how he could do it himself.

"No, you can't. It would just give you more pain," Touya explained as the belt clicked.

"Aw," Tomoyo cooed, "it's like he's a little baby!"

Syaoran glared at her and saw Eriol standing, trying to talk to Touya.

"Touya," Eriol started, "Sakura-san said she didn't want to come."

His eyebrows scrunched together. "What? Did she go into the living room?"

Eriol nodded, saying that she sat down on the green couch. "Why?"

"She usually plays the piano when she thinks something was her fault or if she's sad," he replied and sighed. "You wanted to listen, right?"

Eriol nodded again.

"Then this is what you need to do…"

* * *

"Don't let anyone in, all right, Sakura?" Touya shouted as he ran back down the stairs. He only went back inside the house to grab his car keys, which were up in his room. He also opened a window in Sakura's room without her knowing. 

"Hai," she absent-mindedly said. Touya went out and closed the door.

After hearing the car's engine fade away, Sakura walked over to the piano that she and her mother had spent so much time together. It was one of the few mementos Sakura had, but it was one that held so many fun memories.

She pressed a note, not knowing that someone was struggling trying to go through the window.

Touya had originally opened it so Eriol could be able to hear Sakura play. The band that he was in seriously needed a pianist, and they were traveling, looking for one.

As he finally got in, he took out his cell phone and went to the camera.

Eriol was going to record her as much as he could and send it to Tomoyo's phone. If Sakura played, that is.

She was still on the stage of striking random keys.

* * *

Touya drove normally on the road; Syaoran's bruise couldn't be that bad if he can still walk some small distances without wincing. 

"We really need her, Meiling!" Tomoyo argued. Meiling had asked how all of this happened. Tomoyo explained to her; the accident, the ambulance, Touya's small talk about Sakura, and now this.

"How would you know if she could play?" Meiling looked at Tomoyo, who was riding shotgun. "I can't just ask our producers if she can get in!"

"That is exactly why Eriol is at her house right now! You know we've been looking for a pianist for a long time! This band is beginning to become desperate!" Tomoyo nearly shouted. The word 'band' caught Touya's attention.

"Hey, you guys still haven't told me why you need my little sister so much." Touya glanced at the two girls. Meiling, Syaoran, and Tomoyo opened their mouths in surprise.

"You mean you haven't seen or heard about any of us?" Syaoran asked in disbelief. Touya smirked and shook his head. Meiling sighed, but the rest of Japan already knew anyway.

"Have you heard of Soar Records?" she started. Touya nodded quickly. Of course he had. His own mother…

"Have you heard of Celestine?" Meiling looked out the window.

"Yeah, I have a friend who's crazy over the drummer. What's his name?" Touya wondered.

"Tomoyo here is the lead singer," she pointed out. She glanced at Touya, but he didn't seem to be showing any sort of interest in that. He was watching the road, and Tomoyo decided she should just tell the rest.

"You see," the purple haired beauty began, "Celestine has only had three members so far: Eriol, Syaoran, and me. Soar Records put us three together, and we started out small, but Japan seemed to like us, and Soar…polished our skills. I was into singing and playing the violin with some bass guitar, Eriol always liked to hit things so he started drumming, and Syaoran's been playing the electric guitar for who knows how long."

"Ten years," he bragged.

Meiling rolled her eyes and told Tomoyo to keep on. The driver was listening intently.

"Some months ago, Soar Records said that a three-man band wasn't going to last forever. If they wanted to keep us, Meiling, who's our manager, was supposed to find a person with equal or better skills in music." Tomoyo paused for a second. "The band decided that a keyboard would do nicely."

Touya flicked his eyes to her as he turned on the road. The hospital could be seen now. "So you are looking for pianists without even considering if they could play?"

Meiling sat up. "Of course not. Celestine just hasn't found the right pianist yet. We're going to hold a concert in every city in Japan to see if we could find them. It seems Eriol is checking out if Sakura was…a contestant for this."

Touya turned off the engine. They were parked now. "Contestant?"

"Celestine is gathering skilled pianists to compete each other. Whoever wins, wins." Meiling shrugged and opened her door.

He shook his head and whispered to himself, "Sakura won't make it then."

* * *

Eriol was about to fall asleep on the stairs when he finally heard Sakura play notes in a proper order. He quickly turned on his phone again and pressed record. She was playing a song…but…there was something else. 

His dark blue eyes widened.

Sakura was _singing_.

_The faint scent of tears_

_On my rain soaked cheeks_

_The warm look on the face_

_Of travelers_

Eriol thought that her voice didn't match up to Tomoyo's...

_The music from my childhood_

_Faintly echoes in the background_

_The memories I hopelessly try to remember_

_Wander aimlessly_

But it was close. Very close.

_But with these tiny wings, launched by my dreams_

_Over distant oceans and skies_

_We'll soar together_

_To a place where memories never fade_

He closed his eyes and listened. She played the song softly, and her voice was so delicate, though the song troubled him. There was a burden in his heart. The song…made him feel…weak and… responsible for something he couldn't name.

_You light up the way for me_

_In the darkness of night_

_Oh, that warm look_

_On your face_

_I miss you so much_

Eriol heard her stop, and opened his eyes slowly. He saw her standing up and looking straight at him.

* * *

"What do you mean Sakura-chan won't make it? If she can play a piano, then she might very well be '_it!_'" Meiling told Touya as they waited for Syaoran's results in his room. Tomoyo looked expectantly at Sakura's older brother, waiting for him to talk. 

"Sakura…she only plays when no one's around. Too shy, I guess." He rubbed his temples. He knew Sakura was shy, but he had been feeling lately that that wasn't the reason.

Why was he telling them this?

"She doesn't play happy music anymore," Scratching his head, he continued, "Ever since Mom and Dad died, all Sakura plays now are awfully slow songs. They're beautiful, but it hurts when you hear them for some reason." A small pause. "It's like you could feel her pain the exact day they died."

He was over his parents' deaths. Although Sakura's playing reminded him over and over again, Touya accepted the fact that they had passed away. It took him a long time.

"Why don't her friends come over and help her out of it?" Tomoyo quietly asked. Syaoran was on the bed, and his ears were listening.

"She doesn't have any."

"WHAT?" Meiling yelled and stood up. A nurse told her to hush up or be kicked out.

"I may not have talked to her, but she seems so nice when I saw her!" Meiling sat down and glared at Touya. He ignored her.

Tomoyo blinked. "How could she not have any?"

Sakura's brother shrugged. "I don't know! She doesn't talk much about her school. Her teachers kept telling me that her schoolmates just stay away from her because they thought she was some sort of useless…I don't know!" Tension filled the room.

"Hey, you said earlier when we were still at your house that she only plays when she's sad. How often does she play?" Syaoran's question surprised them, but Touya sighed. A whole minute passed before he answered quietly.

"In the library, the living room…almost everyday."

* * *

And so? How was it? Review, dear lovely readers!

xoxoxoxo

Choco


	3. What Happened?

Here you all go!

Hi, Entrancia.

* * *

Sakura shook her head in disbelief and walked towards Eriol. "What are you doing? I don't even know your name and yet you're recording me?"

Eriol couldn't say anything until she snatched the phone out of his hand. "Hey!"

Sakura pressed a few buttons then gave it back to him. The screen said:

**Video deleted!**

He gaped at her. "What? Why?"

"Because I don't like it when people sneak up on me like what you just did," she replied softly. "Please go. You're nice and all, but I don't know you, and I think you need to go."

Eriol gaped but slowly strode towards the door. Eyes downcast, he looked back at her while stepping out. "I like your singing. You should do it more often. SOmething happier, maybe," he turned away. "If you get over your fright of performing over audiences, will you call me?"

Sakura peered at him. "What?"

"684-9087. That's my cell." And he was gone.

She blinked then walked back to the piano and sat in front of it. She looked around the living room and went to a corner. After what that guy just did, she didn't feel like playing the piano anymore.

She picked up an acoustic guitar.

* * *

Syaoran's phone rang. It was beside him on the bed, and Meiling took it before he could move. "Hello?"

"_Meiling_?" a voice cracked in the phone.

"Eriol?" she questioned. Tomoyo and Touya turned their heads. Syaoran closed his eyes.

"_Meiling_! _I heard her play,_" he said in the phone.

Meiling's eyes widened. "Could she participate in the contest, then?"

Eriol was silent for a moment. "_Actually, I was thinking if we could just call the contest off._"

She shook her head. "Whatcha mean?" Tomoyo walked over to where Meiling was and pressed her ear closer to the phone.

She heard him sigh. "_She erased the video that I was going to send to you guys, but I think you need to listen to her play for yourselves."_

Meiling put the phone on speakerphone now. "And how do you propose we do that, smart one? According to Touya, she hates playing in front of tall people."

"Hey, I didn't say she hated to play in front of them," Touya muttered, then he talked louder. "I aid she doesn't _like_ to play in front of people."

"_Yeah. When she saw me, she kicked me out,_" he stated.

Syaoran chuckled. "She really kicked you out?"

"_No. She asked a way as if she was very…mad at the same time,_" he exaggerated.

Tomoyo shrugged. "So, what do we do? If Eriol says she's good, then she's got to be good."

"_She's better_," Eriol stated. "_She can sing too._"

Tomoyo blinked when everyone stared at her. "What?"

"_Hey, not like Tomoyo's singing! Leave her alone_." Syaoran smiled at his friend's defense over the lead vocal. "S_he has this really cute and soft voice._"

Meiling rolled her eyes. "Tomoyo has a cute and soft voice."

"_Yes, I would know that, Meiling. But it's different. The way she sings is different._"

Syaoran was confused at his statement. "There's only one way of singing, Eriol. If that girl could sing through her ears, then I'll bet on her."

Everyone sweatdropped.

"_Her ears?_" Eriol was laughing. "_Where'd you get that from?_"

"Takashi," Syaoran shrugged.

Meiling chortled. "Where was Chiharu when he told you that?"

"_Leave Takashi alone; let him educate Syaoran._"

Tomoyo giggled, then said, "How soon could we hear her, do you think?"

Touya grunted, "You could come tomorrow after school. The sooner you all get her in your band, the sooner she might get over her lack of confidence."

"_All right. I'm catching a cab to the hospital. How's Syaoran?_" Eriol was sitting in the cab already.

"There's one broken rib," Meiling stated. "He might not be able to play the guitar for some time."

Eriol could be heard sighing. Touya glanced at them.

"You know, Sakura can play the guitar too."

Silence. The older brother of Sakura just shrugged. "What?"

"_Why are you telling us this, Touya-san?_" Eriol asked. Touya scratched his head.

"I guess I just don't want Sakura to be alone anymore." He sighed heavily. "Look, I'll come up with some way to get you guys to listen to her play. But in exchange, could you four just be there for her? It's cheesy and all, but she's-"

"All right!" Tomoyo piped.

Meiling shrugged with one shoulder. "Why not? So long as she's not some attention grabber and a suck up."

"_We needed another girl for Tomoyo, anyway. She thinks this band has too many guys in it." _Everyone could imagine that boy smiling.

"What? _I'm_ a part of Celestine!" The manager pushed Tomoyo playfully.

"But you're not on the stage! And there are too many boys dominating the front of the audience. If Sakura-chan was there, then maybe girls would like to sit up front, too!"

That stabbed Syaoran and Eriol in the heart.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Syaoran growled. He sat up from his bed and glared at Tomoyo, who didn't care.

"_Tomoyo, that hurt._"

She giggled. "Well, Sakura-chan is pretty cute."

Touya smiled. "I'm going home. I can't leave the Kaijuu alone. Come early tomorrow."

"Whatever, Touya." Syaoran bid farewell, and so did Tomoyo and Meiling.

* * *

**Next Day**

Sakura walked slowly to school, wearing jeans that covered her knee. She had to wake up early since her bike was being fixed. Touya offered to drive her there, but she refused. On the way, Sakura passed the cherry blossom trees and kept her head down.

She didn't like her school, really. Sakura preferred to be late so she wouldn't have to talk to anyone that waited outside.

Everyone thought she had no skills. Sakura denied that at first, but seeing how she couldn't prove herself to them numerous times, she gave up.

Each day, she was taunted and sneered at. People would put stuff in her lockers and they would push her into them. Others, like Rika and Naoko, didn't think it was right. But every time those two tried to stand up for Sakura, they were also bullied.

Sakura told them to stop. She never wanted to see anyone being hurt, especially on her account. After some time, Rika and Naoko did stop, but they never participated in what their other friends did to Sakura. Sometimes, they would hug Sakura after they bullied her.

Sakura was afraid of playing the piano in front of people because she thought she couldn't play. She thought she couldn't sing, either, basing her beliefs on what her so-called peers said.

When Sakura had given up on piano and singing, she didn't want to spend her time not doing anything. Whenever she had time to think about anything, her mind would wander to her parents.

That was when she taught herself how to strum.

Even if Sakura was in school not doing anything, she would cry. Of course, there was only one person who ever saw her cry, and that was Touya.

It will remain that way.

Once Sakura arrived at her school, she immediately rushed to her side of the grounds. There was a small bench, perfect for two people. However, only she sat on it.

Usually no one would disturb her early in the morning.

"Hey, it's Kinomoto!" someone shouted out. Sakura looked up from a book she had started reading. She trembled._ What do they want? Can't they see the bandage on my arm?_

Her jaw tightened as a crowd gathered.

"Kinomoto! How was your little accident with Celestine yesterday?" a girl sneered.

_What?_

Sakura shook her head slowly. "I have no idea what you are talking about, Watanabe. Leave me alone."

Another girl scoffed, "Yeah right. You purposefully ran right into the guitarist."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Go away," she murmured. She knew they were wrong, but what would she say?

Someone pushed her off the bench. "You are such a loser, thinking up tricks like that. Look, no one pays any attention to you, so just stay away!"

Sakura glared at them. "You guys were the ones who came over here!"

"What is all this, Sakura-san?" a deep voice cut in. The ones in the back of the crowd gasped. A pathway cleared, showing Eriol. Behind him were Meiling and Tomoyo.

"It's Celestine!" a girl screamed. Soon, everyone was there, trying to get a look. Sakura was ignored on the ground.

Tomoyo broke from them and crawled to where she was. "Are you okay?"

Sakura nodded and tried her best not to show that her leg throbbed. Tomoyo slowly pulled her up when another person noticed.

"What did Kinomoto do to you?" the girl earlier, Watanabe, demanded. It was quiet for a moment until the students parted Sakura from Tomoyo.

"Stay away from her, stupid!" Ryoshi, another student, yelled out. Meiling gaped and slapped him.

"DO YOU HAVE SOME SORT OF PROBLEM?!" she shouted out. Then she pulled Eriol out and beckoned Tomoyo and Sakura to come with her. Once the four were in the cherry blossom forest Sakura went to yesterday, they all sat down.

She bit her lip. "I'm sorry."

Meiling looked at her and sighed. "I'm Li Meiling. This is Tomoyo and that's Eriol."

"Sakura," she meekly replied after a moment's hesitation. _Guess they don't want to talk about what just happened… _

Then, she remembered something. "What's Celestine?"

Tomoyo laughed a bit. She was going to have to start the conversation they had with Touya again.

* * *

"Where do you work?" Syaoran asked Touya, who was visiting him.

"I have part time jobs. I still go to college, you know. The pay's enough to keep the house standing and all that stuff," he answered, leaning back in his seat. "How long are you going to be here?"

"I'm getting out today. It's only one rib," Syaoran grunted. "So what's your plan?"

"Hmm?" Touya raised a brow.

"On getting us to listen her play?" The guitarist's tone of voice was getting higher.

"Hope you don't mind closets," was all Touya said.

Syaoran twitched. _Closets?_

* * *

"We're not going to your school. We're just going to be there." Meiling smiled. They had finished explaining everything to Sakura and elaborated to her about their great need of another member.

"But why me?" Sakura questioned.

"I've heard you play before, Sakura-san." Eriol sighed. "I'm sorry about sneaking in, though."

"That's fine. Touya's the one who's going to get it," she smiled. Tomoyo noticed right away that it was fake.

"Could you think about the offer?" Tomoyo asked. She had been hoping that Sakura would join. The other pianists Tomoyo saw were different from Sakura, and she adored her.

Sakura nodded. "I'll think about it. But I need to get to school."

"We'll come with you," Eriol said quickly.

"I'll be fine. Go back to Touya." Sakura shooed them off with her hand.

" But-" Tomoyo protested, however, Sakura cut in.

"Go!"

And she ran off.

Meiling gulped, dumfounded. "Is she serious?"

Eriol sighed. "I don't know. Oh, well. Let's go back to Touya's house."

* * *

"Hey, aren't you supposed to have some fan mail or something?" Touya interrogated Syaoran. They were playing chess on his bed.

"No one knows where Celestine is right now. I think Sakura's school has some clue, though. Otherwise the press and all those crazy people will come in," Syaoran muttered as he moved his knight. He wasn't yet told of the plan where Eriol, Tomoyo, and Meiling would pay the school a visit.

"You got yourself into check. You can't do that," Touya snickered. He scoffed.

"I can always cover myself, right?" Syaoran kept his knight there.

"No, because it's my turn. And my turn will kill your King," Touya stated. "Better move it, gaki."

Syaoran scowled as he moved his knight back. "Aren't you supposed to be in college?"

"I'm off for a whole week. Check." he replied.

Syaoran moved his King. "And your jobs?"

"I'm off today." Touya smiled. "Checkmate."

Syaoran gaped at the board," WHAT? THAT WAS THREE GAMES!"

"And I won them all." Touya laughed. Just then, the doctor came in.

"Li Syaoran? You can go now. Your next check up will be a week from now."

* * *

**About the time when Sakura came home….**

"Could someone tell me what we are doing in a closet?" Syaoran growled. Eriol, Meiling, Tomoyo, and he were all in a closet beside the piano. It was the perfect spot, Touya insisted earlier.

The closet was dark, and the four were squished together.

"Eriol!" Meiling hissed. "GET YOUR HAND OFF MY BUTT!"

"Hmm? Then whose hand is this?" Tomoyo touched her back. The hand on her back wiggled its fingers.

"My hand is on Tomoyo's back," Eriol retorted.

"Oh, sorry Meiling. It was mine."

"SYAORAN!"

They all heard a door slam outside.

"Sakura, is that you?" Touya asked outside. He must've been in the kitchen. Syaoran heard stifled sobbing, then rushed footsteps.

"Hoi, what is it?" Touya's voice sounded desperate. He was now in the living room, most probably with her.

A jumbled chorus of piano notes surprised the band. It was loud, and it sounded like someone was pounding on the piano.

"Hey!"

There were more footsteps after that, and then stomps went up the stairs.

"Sakura, answer me!"

"SHUT UP!" A door slammed above them.

Meiling and the others stayed silent, and the door swung open, revealing an angered Touya.

"Something's happened at school. I'm going there."

* * *

Ah, the drama. Let's have some more.

Review!

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Choco


	4. Paint?

Yeah, um, lessee...

Thanks to Entrancia for reading this chapter!

* * *

"Wait! I'll come with you!" Meiling offered, and stood up and walked out of the closet, dusting herself.

"You heard, huh?" Touya's lips were in a thin line.

"We heard everything," Tomoyo said silently and followed Meiling out. Eriol shook his head and went after Tomoyo.

"Syaoran?" he looked back, seeing Syaoran was still sitting down. His eyes were dark.

"What the hell-" Syaoran muttered. "I want to come with you guys."

Tomoyo sighed, "I'll stay with Sakura-chan," and went up the stairs, softly knocking on her bedroom door.

Touya was already outside, starting up his car. "Come on!"

* * *

They were all surprised when they reached the school. Every student was standing out in the courtyard. When the car screeched to a stop, the students looked back, only to see Touya getting out. 

Touya strode over to the building with a grim look on his face, the students silently making a path. When Meiling, Eriol, and Syaoran followed him, whispers broke out in the crowd. Syaoran only picked up pieces of what the students were saying.

"No way."

"It was true!"

"Kinomoto couldn't have…"

Syaoran couldn't take it anymore and growled, "SHUT IT!"

They did.

Eriol quickly pulled him out and went into Sakura's school.

They arrived the Principal's office, and before Touya could bang on the door, it opened, revealing a woman in her fifties with half-rimmed glasses. She seemed tired.

"Kinomoto-san? I was about to call you," she said and saw the other three behind him.

"Celestine…?" the woman softly murmured.

Touya grumbled out, "Yeah."

The woman shook her head. "Come in, all of you."

They filed inside, and since there were only two chairs, Syaoran and Eriol had to stand against the wall. It was a small room.

"Did Sakura go home?" the woman, Mrs. Sato, asked.

Touya nodded. "She came home, crying."

Mrs. Sato bit her lip. "This should've been taken care of earlier. I'm sorry for being away." The principal explained how she had been attending board meetings and schools in the district that week. She left the vice principal in charge. But Mrs. Sato had been there when the whole school ganged up on Sakura, and she fired the teachers who did nothing. Mrs. Sato also fired the vice principal for not reporting it to her.

"They ganged up on her?" Meiling asked, dumfounded. "Why?"

Mrs. Sato looked grim. "The students in this school kept on saying something about Celestine and that Sakura didn't deserve to be with them. I don't know. It seems something had also happened this morning that was connected to this."

Eriol spoke up and told them about the bench accident. "I guess that triggered them, huh?"

"Yes, I suppose it did," the principal murmured softly. "The students are outside now, waiting for their parents to come. I've called the parents that have children attending this school. I'm going to speak to them about this and the punishment for the whole school."

"Which is?" Syaoran questioned.

"There will be no more extracurricular activities, parties, dances, or any sort of event. The sports, the clubs, it has all been canceled for this year." Mrs. Sato sighed. "And the year has only started. But I don't feel that's enough."

"Well, good." Meiling smiled.

"Pardon?" Mrs. Sato looked up at the girl, hoping that she wasn't as sadistic as the rumors said…

Meiling tilted her head. "Do you suppose you could enroll four more kids into Sakura's grade?"

She could feel eyes boring into her back. If it weren't for Touya and the Principal in the room, Syaoran might have choked her.

Mrs. Sato thought about this, then nodded her head. "Only if those four kids could help Sakura."

Meiling grinned. "What's the whole point of going to this school if they can't?"

Secretly, Touya thanked Meiling.

* * *

"Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo softly knocked on the door to Sakura's room. "Please, open up." 

The doorknob clicked, and the door opened. "Tomoyo-san?"

Tomoyo nodded at the red-nosed blossom. "No, 'chan' would do."

Sakura hugged Tomoyo and cried into her chest. Tomoyo noticed her clothes, face, and hair were drenched in paint. She hugged Sakura back.

This girl was a stranger, but for some reason, Tomoyo and the others were helping and were attracted to her. _She has this friendly aura around her_, Tomoyo thought.

_So why is she crying?_

She asked what happened. The crying girl led Tomoyo to her bed. After a few hiccups, she began.

"When I left you all in the forest, I ran back, since I was pretty late. When I went to the courtyard, it was empty, and I dashed into school.

"I ran all the way to my class, and sat in the same chair I've been sitting in, the one by the window, ever since this year started. The weird thing was, classroom was empty, too."

Tomoyo blinked, confused.

"I kept checking the sign on the class door, seeing if it was right. I knew I had this class so I stayed.

"Then, the classroom was being filled with people I know that didn't have that class. I saw Rika and Naoko trying to get to me, but they were held back. Something was happening.

"My class was on the first floor, so I jumped out the window. But some guy grabbed my leg and I fell on the ground outside, my leg bruised on the window panel. It hurt."

She brushed off some tears. Tomoyo took out her hankerchief.

Flashback

_"Kinomoto," a girl shouted out. "You embarrassed us today."_

"_Yeah," a guy yelled, '"it's your turn."_

"'_Ready...' they all said together._

"'_Set...'_

_Sakura was still on the ground, head pounding from the impact she made on the grass. She saw the bucket on the window panel and realized what it was. It came from art..._

_"GO!" Paint splattered on her, bucket after bucket. She swallowed a whole lot of it, and some went in her eye. She was drowning in thick paint._

Tomoyo stared at Sakura, wide-eyed.

_Rika screamed for them to stop, and Naoko helped her. _

_"NO! STOP!"_

_"QUIT IT!"_

_They did. The buckets, the screaming, and the yelling stopped. _

"_WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?'"screamed a woman, a woman Sakura really liked and respected. She barely saw her face that looked down at her through all the paint in her eyes. _

"_Sakura?" Mrs. Sato softly said to her, "WHAT ON EARTH IS SAKURA KINOMOTO DOING ON THE GROUND COVERED IN PAINT?"_

_No one spoke up._

"_Oh, leave them," said another man, Mr. Clench. He was the music teacher, from Germany. "That girl needs it."_

_Mrs. Sato turned to him. "You. Get out, " she ordered. "Rika-san, Naoko-san, please help Sakura and clean her up. I'll come after I take care of everyone _else_."_

_Rika and Naoko jumped out the window and wiped her face with their shirts. They were already splotched with paint and their faces were streaked with it._

"_Sakura, I'm really sorry," Naoko apologized, tears in her eyes. "We should've been there earlier!"_

_Rika sobbed. "Sakura, are you okay? Ms. Fujimori!"_

_Ms. Fujimori, the school nurse, came over with damp towels and cleaned Sakura up. "Sakura, I'm sorry. I didn't know what was happening," she whispered. _

_Instead of saying anything, Sakura threw up the paint. All of it._

_The next thing she remembered was lying in the nurse's office; Rika and Naoko right beside. They whispered something about contacting Touya, but they only knew the house number. _

_Touya wasn't home. So she ran. Out the room with Rika and Naoko calling after her. Out the building with Mrs. Sato chasing after her. Out of this school._

_Sakura ran outside, but stopped when she saw the courtyard filled with the students who dumped paint on her. She looked down on her shirt, and glanced at their faces._

_Some were crying, but the others glared Sakura down with hatred._

_One of them approached her, hand extending. She slapped the hand away. It was Watanabe. Sakura's eyes watered up._

_She sprinted home._

When Sakura finished, Tomoyo took her head and kissed the top of it. "And you're home. Welcome home, Sakura."

Sakura cried, "Tomoyo…"

"Shh." Tomoyo hugged Sakura while she wept.

_Those kids at her school, _Tomoyo thought while Sakura went to sleep in her arms, _are dead._

* * *

"You applied to go into her school?" Tomoyo asked when Meiling, Eriol, Syaoran, and Touya were back. The sun was setting. 

"We all did, apparently," Eriol murmured as he sat beside Tomoyo on a couch in the living room.

"Don't forget I am your manager."

"That's great!" Tomoyo smiled. "Now we can kick their asses."

"Language," Meiling warned.

Tomoyo told them about the whole story Sakura had explained earlier. Touya grumbled, standing up and went into the kitchen. "I'm cooking, anybody want anything?"

"Don't you care?" Syaoran asked.

Touya stuck his head out to glare at Syaoran. "If you want me to explode in that living room, just say so. If not, let me cook."

The room was silent.

"Where's Sakura?" Touya called out after thirty minutes or so.

"She's sleeping upstairs. I changed her clothes," Tomoyo replied. Meiling smiled softly at her. Touya sighed as he came back into the room with grilled toast. He took a slice and sat in a chair.

"You are all doing this for the sake of your band, right?" Touya said, crunching on his toast. Meiling cackled, which scared everyone in the room. She reached for the toast.

"Are you kidding me?" Meiling took a bite. "We're not _that_ heartless. Although, I wouldn't mind it if she did play something for us."

Tomoyo nodded. "This is inhuman, the way they're treating her." She picked up her toast and bit into the corner.

"Thanks," he whispered. "You know, you guys are the first to ever visit this house that actually want to spend time with Sakura."

Syaoran snorted. "Okay, let's stop."

"Oh, zip up your manliness if you have any, Syaoran." Meiling ate the rest of her grilled toast in one whole bite.

"Open up your manners if you have any, Meiling," Syaoran retorted. She threw a cushion at him.

Eriol twitched. "Speaking of manliness…"

"And manners…" Tomoyo trembled.

Meiling stared at them, gaping with the half-chewed toast still in her mouth. "What?" A cushion hit her head.

"SYAORAN!"

He snickered.

"Hey, are you listening?" Eriol yelled at the two. "We're forgetting about Yue and Ruby!"

Syaoran froze. "Oh, shit."

"Language!" Meiling screeched. Touya raised a brow.

"Who?" he queried. Meiling took out her phone and dialed a number. She went out of the room.

"They're our producers," Tomoyo whispered. "We are _real_ scared of them."

"Seriously," Eriol mumbled, "they yell at you for one second and then they're all lovey-dovey."

"You're talking about two different people, Eriol," Syaoran pointed out. "The yeller is Yue and the lovey-dovey is Ruby."

"They're married; that basically means they're one person," he retorted. Meiling came back into the room.

"They said yes."

"All right, back up. _What_?" Touya was way confused now.

"Yue was reluctant, but Ruby said yes. We could go to her school while Syaoran heals up," Meiling explained.

"Oh," Eriol leaned back.

"So when do we start school?" Syaoran asked Meiling. Syaoran and Eriol had left Meiling and Touya alone in the Principal's office when they started talking about enrolling.

Meiling didn't answer.

"Meiling?" Tomoyo peered at her.

She took a cup of water and gulped it down.

"Meiling!" Eriol was frantic.

"Tomorrow."

* * *

'**Tomorrow' or the next day**

Touya told Sakura she could stay home, but she wanted to go to school.

"I want to say I'm sorry," she shouted out to him when she was in front of the house.

Touya stuck his head out a window. "WHAT? THEY ARE THE ONES WHO SHOULD'VE SAID SORRY!"

"They did!" she yelled back. "They _were_ sorry! I just need to forgive them!"

"_SAKURA!"_

"See you later, Touya!" The girl ran off. He hung his head, not able ti understand his own sister. Maybe letting her live by herself once she turned 18 isn't a good idea…

"That Kaijuu is crazy."

When Sakura approached her school, she went to her side of the grounds once again, but no one disturbed her.

Then, school started…

* * *

Okay, like, so tired.

Thanks to everyone that has reviewed! You all are AWESOME!

Review some more!

xoxoxoxo

Choco


	5. Transfer Students?

Blurples.

Hee.

Thanks Entrancia!

* * *

Sakura sighed as she made her way to her first class. The halls were silent as she walked on, feeling everyone's stares boring into her back. It made her uncomfortable.

_Maybe I shouldn't have some to school after all, _she thought uneasily as she quietly slid the door open.

Her seat, which was by the paint-stained window, waited for her. She was the first one in her class, besides the new teacher.

"Hello." She kindly looked at Sakura. "How are you?"

Sakura nodded meekly. She thought this woman seemed nice enough.

"I'm fine," Sakura replied, and scurried to her seat.

The woman's eyes widened when Sakura sat down and took out a book, _Twilight_, by Stephanie Meyer. The book was about a vampire and a human girl. The vampire lusted after the human girl's blood, but fell in love with her instead. Now, he struggles with himself to either be with her or take her.

Sakura loved the suspense. It took her mind off the many things in her life.

"You," the teacher gaped, "are you Sakura?"

She was reading the part where the two main characters were in a meadow, and the girl couldn't stop herself from touching the guy's abs, which made her blush. "Hai, sensei."

The teacher instantly walked over to her and took hold of Sakura's hands. "I'm terribly sorry for what happened to you yesterday. I swear I won't let anyone do anything to you while I'm here."

"Ah—" She was surprised at the sudden teacher's declaration. "Thank—thank you, sensei."

The woman smiled warmly. "You may call me Ms. Kaho."

Sakura blinked before talking. "Okay, Ms. Kaho. Please call me Sakura, then."

Ms. Kaho smiled again, then the first of the students started to file in. They stared at the two before slowly taking their seats.

Once more, Sakura was engulfed in an environment of uncomfortable silence. She turned her attention to her book and ignored the students. Ms. Kaho went back to the front of the room, waiting for everyone to get settled.

When everyone was seated, Ms. Kaho introduced herself. "I am Mizuki Kaho. I'll be your music and homeroom teacher from now on. Does everyone have their textbooks?"

They all nodded.

"Turn to page fifty-three, then."

They quietly did what the teacher ordered, the sounds of papers shuffling and backpacks opening filled the air. No one heard the class door open, but their eyes were all on Ms. Kaho as she walked out.

It closed. The students took this chance to all turn around and stare Sakura down.

She was alone in that small corner by the window. So all Sakura could do was glare back.

"What is it?" she asked, her bravery diminishing with every second they looked at her. It was heavy…

"Why won't you get mad?" Watanabe asked her with disbelief. "You're not even standing up for yourself."

"You know," another girl, Suzuki, added, "it's all your fault that we lost all of the sports and events for the whole year!"

Then the whole class burst out yelling things at Sakura, who by then was too scared and weak to talk back.

"It's going to be so hard to get a football scholarship now!" a boy shouted angrily.

Someone huffed, "Even Valentine's Day is off!"

"Kinomoto, why did you come to this school?!"

"Tomoeda High was cool until you came along!"

"Now all of our privileges are gone!"

Sakura, out of anger and misery, sank lower in her seat, not looking at anyone and stared out the window instead.

In an instant, the class quieted down, and all they could hear was Sakura trying to hold in her sobs.

_I thought they were sorry, _she thought unhappily. _I thought they were finally going to be nice to me. Why won't they?! What did I do to them?!_

She was suddenly enveloped by warm arms.

"Shh," Tomoyo whispered in a calming voice. "It's okay."

She blinked in her tears and turned her head, facing amethyst eyes. "Tomoyo-san?"

Tomoyo smiled. "Chan. It's Tomoyo-chan."

Now Sakura was fully turned around, seeing Tomoyo's face. "Why are you here?"

All she got as a reply was a small smile.

"Class!" Ms. Kaho demanded. She sounded angry. "Eyes up here, NOW!"

There were sounds of bodies turning. They all seemed so surprised at what the lead singer of Celestine was doing that they didn't even glance at their teacher when she rapped the ruler on her desk.

Tomoyo stood beside Sakura while she looked at the front of the room.

Standing by Ms. Kaho and Ms. Sato were Syaoran, Eriol, and Meiling.

"No way!" Ito, a brown-haired girl, screamed. "Is that Celestine?"

Everyone was diverted from Sakura to the band.

Ms. Kaho waved a hand, signaling all to be quiet. "In this school, no one is going to call these five students Celestine. They will be called Li-san, Hiiragizawa-san, Li-chan, and Daidouji-chan." As she said their names they all bowed, teeth clenched and fists tightened.

"Nice to meet you!" Tomoyo chirped, but she was boiling up inside. The teachers and the band had heard the class shouting at Sakura while they were just right outside of her class.

Meiling threatened to take a knife and cut them all up when she barged in.

How could so many people be so mean?

Taking a deep breath, Ms. Kaho continued, "They will be staying at this school for as long as they need to. No one, and I mean _no_ _one_, is to ask for autographs and photos, make a club, or anything else that shows you are a fan of the band. Do you all understand?"

The students, all but Sakura, nodded. She was still blinking and looking at the five people.

_What are _they_ doing here?_

"Respect their privacy. That means if they don't want any of you close by them, stay away. The last thing this school needs is more attention from the school board. What happened yesterday has already alerted them," Ms. Kaho stated, and it made some of the students uneasy.

Mrs. Sato took up the rest. She was the one who escorted the band to their class. "And, they may talk to anyone they want. These five will also respect others, but as much as you all could, they request not to be disturbed while at school. Do you hear me, Watanabe-san?"

The blond girl sat up. "Yes, ma'am."

"That means if they want to be friends with Kinomoto-san, you will leave them alone?" Ms. Sato pointed out.

That made Watanabe snort. "Like anyone would want to make friends with that thing?"

Syaoran twitched and murmured under his breath, "Bitch."

Ms. Kaho turned her head towards him, but after thinking about it, nodded her head in agreement.

This made Meiling hide her smile. "Since that was true, I'll let it slide, Syaoran," she whispered to him.

Mrs. Sato peered at Watanabe. "Watanabe-san, come to my office when school is over."

"Hai!" she replied a bit too loudly, not caring if it was impolite to shout at the principal of the school she attended.

Mrs. Sato turned to go out of the room, waving goodbye. "Enjoy your schooling here, and I hope _no one _tries to pour paint on you all."

The door closed behind her, and the class was in total silence. They knew that was no joke.

"Well, then, there are seats by Sakura. You may sit down in them and turn to page fifty-three in your English textbooks." Ms. Kaho pointed at Sakura and whispers spread out.

Syaoran became aggravated.

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU ALL TO SHUT UP YESTERDAY!"

The whispers stopped immediately. Ms. Kaho kept writing on the chalkboard as if Syaoran never said anything. Meiling sighed and pushed him along.

Syaoran grumbled as he took the seat behind the rigid Sakura. Meiling took the one in front of her. Eriol sat next to Syaoran, and Tomoyo sat right beside the target.

All around her sat Celestine, and she was still dumbstruck at the fact that they were even here.

She buried her head in her textbook. _What is going on?_

* * *

The gang guarded Sakura the whole day, but she never talked to them. 

That was because whenever they tried to, Sakura was too stubborn to reply back.

_What are they doing here?_ she thought while turning the knob on her locker. _My business is mine and they have their own! They don't need to do this! Don't they have concerts and photo shoots to do? If they are just doing this so I would be in their band, forget it!_

"Ow!" a voice shouted out, making Sakura lose her train of thought.

"Hoe?"

"_Hoe_?! You slammed my face with your locker!" Syaoran appeared on the other side of Sakura's locker door, wincing from the pain.

Meiling was laughing. "I told you that was the way the locker was going to open!"

"I thought she was just going to open it, not slam it into me!" he retorted. His nose was red. making Sakura panic. _OH MY GOSH!_

Eriol snorted. "So? The only difference with that was that it hit you. The locker still opened."

Syaoran glared at him.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry!" Sakura put a hand on her mouth. "Is it bleeding?"

"If it is, I'll unscrew your locker door and hit you with it," Syaoran threatened and lightly touched his nose. "Ow, ow."

"That's not very nice, Syaoran," Tomoyo said.

"WHO CARES?"

Sakura pouted. "I do. Here, I'll take you to the nurse."

She grabbed Syaoran's hand and walked off, forgetting that her locker was still wide open.

"Do we follow them?" Tomoyo asked.

"Let's go," Eriol sighed, but looked back at his manager. "Meiling?"

She was staring in amazement inside Sakura's locker. "Is that…?"

Tomoyo raised a brow. "What is it?"

Meiling beckoned for them to look at a picture. "I know her…Isn't that Nadeshiko?"

When Eriol and Tomoyo saw what Meiling was talking about, they couldn't speak.

"That can't be her mother, can it?" Tomoyo whispered to Meiling.

Eriol shook his head. "It has to be. No one else has that picture."

A silence.

"Yes!" Meiling cheered happily. "That makes things official!"

Eriol and Tomoyo peered at their overexcited manager. "What?"

"The contest is canceled; Sakura _has_ to be our new member!"

* * *

"It's a nose," Syaoran stated in a bored tone. He let Sakura pull him to the nurse's office, but was lightly blushing at the contact. 

"And you need a nose to smell." Sakura turned a corner. She had been fighting with Syaoran about whether or not he needed to go to the nurse.

And she said he did..

"It's a _nose_," Syaoran said again. "It's not like it's broken."

Sakura felt her nerves being plucked. "What if it is?"

"Then we need a hospital, not a nurse."

Sakura, quickly devising a plan to shut him up, turned to the proud Chinese. She stuck out her bottom lip.

"I care for you, and you don't even say thank you," She made her eyes big.

Syaoran blinked at her sudden change of attitude. He couldn't say a word.

"At least let me do this," Sakura sniffed. "You and the others are so nice; it'll make me happy to know that I'm not useless."

He twitched. "Uh…"

At this, Sakura smiled deviously. "Now shut your mouth before I actually break your nose, you ungrateful twit."

Pulling him rather hard, she thought about the last time she talked to a boy civilly. Threatening to hit his nose wasn't really civil, but it was a long time since she was friendly with a guy who wasn't Touya.

Still, she didn't want the members of Celestine to get involved with her problems. It took Sakura some time to get her own brother out of it.

They were her troubles; she could solve them herself.

* * *

Meiling quickly dialed Yue's number. She was outside of the nurse's office, where Tomoyo and Eriol already went in. 

They were waiting for Sakura and Syaoran, who took an awfully long time to get there.

"Where are they?" Eriol muttered. He sat on the edge of a bed while Tomoyo sat on the other side.

She sighed. "Maybe something happened?"

"No way. No one would dare mess with a Li." He chuckled nervously. "Though there are a few that are stupid in this world…"

She smiled. "Like yourself?"

He faced her. "That was a long time ago, all right? I've grown smarter."

"You mean a couple of months back, you were stupid?"

"I still can't believe that you were the one who stopped us."

Tomoyo smiled, but replied, "Better believe it, because if you guys fight again, I'll bring Meiling."

He paused to think. "That would hurt, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah," Tomoyo nodded. "She knows how to fight. I'll give you an example of it right now if you don't move your hand."

"Aw, why? Your skin is so soft," Eriol replied. His hand somehow traveled its way to her cheek. "I'm jealous."

"Put the hand down, Hiiragizawa."

"Did you even know why we were fighting, Syaoran and I?" His hand slowly dropped.

"It was enough to set you two flinging yourselves at each other." She grinned. "What was it?"

Eriol sat back. "I'll tell you later. It's man business."

Tomoyo scoffed, "Both of you didn't even know how to slap. You call yourself a man?"

"Hey, it wasn't like we took classes on fighting!" Eriol argued back.

Tomoyo was aghast. "You think someone like me, a girl who is a daughter of a grand company, took classes on punching?! It was more like etiquette and ball room dancing!"

"And…you knew how to fight…" Eriol shivered. "Scary."

The raven-haired girl was about to say something, but Meiling beat her.

"AW, THAT IS NOT TRUE! WHY IS SYAORAN LOOKING LIKE A FRIGGIN' BLEEDING TOMATO, THEN?" she shouted from the other side of the door, which was still closed.

"I kissed him," Sakura answered, and by the tone of her voice, she was smiling.

"KISSED ME? YOU PUNCHED ME IN THE NOSE!" barked Syaoran.

The door opened, giggles coming from Sakura. "I warned you first, then a second time. Punching seemed to shut you up, if only for a few minutes." She appeared, followed by a red-nosed Syaoran and a grinning Meiling, who still had a cell in her hand.

"We keep on recruiting girls that know how to fight in this band, don't we, Tomoyo?" Meiling said, winking.

She laughed in reply. "I'll go call in the nurse."

When Tomoyo left, Syaoran sat on the bed by Eriol. "Why do I seem like the only one who's getting hurt around here?"

"Don't forget Sakura," Eriol mumbled, but bolted up when he realized what he said, which could be interpreted two ways.

Meiling glared at him. "Eriol!" she hissed, and glanced at Sakura. The latter sweetly looked at him.

"It's fine. What he said was true. I did get scratched on the arm and knee, right?"

When Syaoran cast his eyes at Sakura, he could tell the smile was another one of her fake ones.

Just how long was she going to keep that façade of hers up?

He knew that someday, Sakura was going to completely break down.

For some reason, he wanted to be there when she did.

Syaoran gagged. He shook the feeling off, ignoring it.

"SOMEBODY GET THE DAMN NURSE!" All this blood was annoying him. Suddenly, he felt like he wanted to lie down…

"**LANGUAGE, LI!**"

* * *

Seriously, Li! LANGUAGE!

I love Meiling.

Review!

xoxoxoxoxo

Choco


	6. Shall We Scream?

Song: _Yoru No Uta _translated in English by animelyrics. c o m .Go to my bio to know how to listen to it. There's no English version of the song. Try to pretend the instruments aren't there.

When I gave this for Entrancia to check, I stupidly put Yoru No Sora. Lol. Can't blame me though. I'm watching Kaleido Star and the main character's name is Sora!

Got confuzzled.

* * *

"AHAAAA!" Ruby busted out laughing and clutched her stomach," OH MY GOODNESS! SYAORAN! HA HA!"

His eyebrow twitched," Shut up, Ruby."

"Aw, I love you too," she smiled, stifling her laughter. Seeing Syaoran with a big white thing plastered on his nose…

That was something to pay for.

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" Yue asked him. This guy didn't laugh or smile. He's totally emotionless, until it comes to Ruby…

Yue and Ruby met Celestine the next day after Meiling called. They were sitting in Syaoran's and Eriol's hotel suite, since Meiling and Tomoyo had gone out shopping with Sakura.

The girls of Celestine didn't know their producers came to Tomoeda.

"So, all of your injuries are caused by this girl?" Yue said, pointing to a picture on his cell that Meiling sent.

In fact, she had taken this picture when Sakura thought no one was looking at her.

Eriol blinked," Yeah, that's her. Usually, though, she smiles a lot."

Ruby took the phone out of her partner's hands and peeked at the screen," Hey, she's cute! But…"

"But what?" Syaoran snarled. He's still stingy about Ruby's reaction to his nose.

"She's so sad," Ruby observed," Is something bothering her?"

Eriol and Syaoran glanced at each other before talking.

"She's a…um…" Eriol tried to think of the right word," An outcast to her school. She's real sweet, just... alone."

No one spoke.

_Sweet? Who the hell thinks she's sweet? She broke my nose!_ Syaoran thought, scoffing.

"This feels like a drama," she scratched her head," And you guys want her to join, right?"

Eriol nodded.

"Just because you feel sorry for her?" Yue glanced at Syaoran, who tried to touch his nose.

"Well, yeah, that's one of the reasons. We've got two more," Eriol held out two fingers.

Syaoran turned his head to his cousin," We do?"

"Yes, we do. Sakura can play the piano and the guitar. She can also sing. Not as good as Tomoyo, but she is second to Tomoyo's voice," he added at the last minute. Yue didn't show any interest.

"And, Meiling thinks Sakura's mother is," Eriol took a deep breath while Ruby motioned for him to hurry up.

"...Nadeshiko."

At this, Syaoran raised his head at him in disbelief.

* * *

"I don't know, Sakura, that doesn't really…fit you," from the expression of Meiling's face, one could say she looked disturbed. 

Tomoyo chuckled nervously," Sakura, I agree with what Meiling said…"

Sakura smiled at her friends' reactions.

She was wearing black baggy pants with belts hanging on the sides, along with a long, gray sleeved shirt underneath a black shirt that said on the front ,"Eat Me," in dripping letters.

"I'm joking," Sakura mused, heading towards the dressing rooms," I just wanted to see what it felt like to wear black."

"Sakura, promise me not to never wear black ever again," Tomoyo shook her head. She was already thinking up of an outfit…

Truly, black does not fit Sakura.

"Why can't _I_ look ridiculous? Look at you two!" she pointed out before locking her door.

In order for Meiling and Tomoyo to shop without interruptions, they had on sunglasses, a brown coat tied at the front and a brown detective hat. Because of their long hair and look alike clothing, people around them said they were like twins.

"Hey! We have an excuse to be wearing these things! If the public saw the lead singer and the manager of Celestine, all of Japan would come rushing down here!" Meiling yelled.

And the whole store heard what she said.

"Meiling!" Tomoyo hissed. She glanced around her.

Too late.

"Daidouji Tomoyo?" a shopper queried, eyes wide open.

"Uhm…no?" Tomoyo wasn't one to tell lies much, but her sunglasses had to fall halfway down her nose. The bright purple eyes stood out from her pale face.

"IT IS!" she screamed. Mind you, this is a teenage-girl screaming.

And teenage girls have a big mouth.

"IT'S DAIDOUJI TOMOYO! AND LI MEILING"

"SAKURA, LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!" Meiling screamed as more of the people crowded the store.

_Huh?_ Sakura thought as she headed out of her stall, hanging the black clothes on a rack nearby.

"Oh," she answered her own question when she saw the commotion. She smiled.

"SEE? I TOLD YOU YOUR CLOTHES STOOD OUT!" Sakura yelled to her companions over the screaming.

"FOR YOUR INFORMATION, IT WAS WORKING UNTIL MEILING HERE ANNOUNCED IT TO THE WHOLE WORLD!" she heard Tomoyo squeal back. There were so many people that Sakura couldn't see them anymore. She shook her head, and figured that they could only escape if the crowd dispersed…

Pointing outside, she screamed," HEY LOOK! LI SYAORAN AND HIIRAGIZAWA ERIOL ARE IN THAT SHOE STORE OVER THERE!"

In two seconds, almost everyone headed out. Sakura took Meiling's and Tomoyo's hands and rushed them out of the mall.

When they were in Meiling's car, she sighed playfully," I told you so."

"Don't shove it in or I'll shove this hat up your-" Meiling said as she backed out of the parking lot and drove out of the underground parking.

Only to be surrounded by more of Celestine's fans.

"Tomoyo, where are your bodyguards when we need them?" Meiling muttered as she honked her horn and rolled down her window," GET OFF THE ROAD, YOU MORONS!"

* * *

"That's the reason why Meiling wants to call the contest off? Just because Nadeshiko is her mother?" Yue's jaw tightened," That's shallow reasoning." 

Ruby glared at him," What are you talking about? It's a _very _good reason. But do you have proof?" she cast a look at Eriol.

"Proof of what?" Eriol questioned. Syaoran stood up and grabbed the remote from the top of the hotel's T.V. in another room.

Something troubled him, and the conversation about Nadeshiko only made it worse.

"Proof that Nadeshiko is Sakura's mother. As far as I know, Nadeshiko was…single," Ruby finished, uncertainty in her eyes.

Eriol shook his head," Tomoyo, Meiling, and I only saw a picture of Nadeshiko in Sakura's locker."

Yue scoffed," She must've been a fan of Nadeshiko, then. There's no way that this girl could be her daughter."

It was silent for a few minutes, until someone from another room shouted out from the top of his lungs," MEILING, YOU IDIOT!"

_-Insert a crashing sound here-_

* * *

"There's no way we could get out of here if these people won't stop taking over the road!" Meiling grumbled, pounding the car's horn. 

"I feel sorry for all of you if you have to put up with this everyday," Sakura said from the back seat.

Tomoyo and Meiling looked at each other. They knew Sakura had to put up with much worse before they came into her life. But putting that aside…

"It's been fifteen minutes! Where are the security?!" Meiling threw her hands up in the air," I give up."

Tomoyo sighed and removed her conspicuous clothes, opening her door. Meiling panicked.

"What are you doing? TOMOYO!"

The lead singer stepped out of the car and when she stood, the crowd fell silent.

_In the night sky, they twinkle_

_The far stars of gold_

_The same color as the small bird_

_that looked up in my dream last night_

_In the sleepless night,_

_I sing this song alone_

_Together with the blowing wind,_

_I fly riding on my thoughts_

_In the night sky, it sparkles_

_The distant moon of silver_

_The same color as the wild rose_

_that was blooming in my dream last night_

_In the gentle night,_

_I sing this song alone_

_Let me sing with you tomorrow_

_Riding the wings of dreams_

_In the gentle night,_

_I sing this song alone_

_Let me sing with you tomorrow_

_Riding the wings of dreams_

She stared at her in disbelief.

Sakura had never heard Tomoyo sing, who bowed down to the crowd.

"May I ask all of you to clear out of our way?" she pleaded in the cutest voice Sakura never thought she had.

One by one, the crowd quietly cleared a way to the main road, and the car was able to move slowly. When Tomoyo came back inside, Meiling shook her head.

"You and your hypnotism. How fun it must be for you," she commented sourly and stepped on the pedal once she was on the highway.

"Hypnotism? I didn't do anything but to sing for them," Tomoyo gave her manager a devious smile.

Sakura gaped," You had everyone's attention!"

She shrugged, "It's not like that was the first time people heard me sing. They should get used to it."

Meiling scoffed," You gave them a free concert! And there were news helicopters! FOLLOWING US NOW!"

"EH?" Tomoyo looked up from her window," Oh no."

"What?" Sakura was confused now.

"I hate those things! We can't go back to the hotel!" Meiling growled.

She blinked," Why not?"

"If the helicopters followed us to the hotel, they would know where we are staying, and so would the rest of Japan," Tomoyo sighed," Once we arrive at the hotel, everyone would bother us there. It's happened a few times. And when Meiling pointed out about the free concert…they would be begging for more. I hadn't thought of that."

"This is something like a vacation for us right now," Meiling groaned," Looking for a pianist…We've no choice but to hold a concert here in Tomoeda," being a manager, she was talking to herself.

"Really? I can't wait!" Sakura squealed," What now?"

"Now," Meiling breathed out," we lost those freaks."

"WHAT?!" Tomoyo shrieked, mouth hanging open," OH NO YOU DON'T!"

"Tomoyo, do you know why I am your manager?" Meiling glanced at her gas, which was a full tank. Tomoyo shook her head. Sakura grabbed hold of the handle that was behind Tomoyo's seat. She quickly buckled her seat belt. Something inside her told her to.

It was the same feeling she got when she was pulled away by Meiling to go shopping.

Celestine's manager changed her gear, "Because _I _know how to drive over two hundred mph without murdering anyone."

* * *

"Syaoran! What's with you?" Ruby screamed when she saw a flower vase on the ground, but she freaked out when she looked at the T.V. 

"MEILING! WHAT IS SHE DOING?!" she screeched, and Yue came into the room with Eriol.

He gaped," Turn up the volume, Syaoran!"

Syaoran pointed the remote to the T.V., and the reporter's words rang through the room:

"_Right at this moment, the manager of one of the top teen bands in Japan is driving over one hundred and fifty miles per hours in a black 2007 model Honda Civic si Coupe. Reports are coming in that this is the manager of Celestine, Li Meiling. Inside the car are Daidouji Tomoyo and an unknown girl._

"_The car is making the helicopters go on a wild-goose chase, and we all know this isn't the first time Li has done this."_

A woman beside the reporter chuckled_," It's because of our helicopters. She's told many people she doesn't like them."_

"Duh. Who does?" Ruby muttered crossing her arms.

Yue frowned," Syaoran, call Soar Records and tell them we've been found out. Eriol, dial Tomoyo's number and tell her to come back to the hotel. They must've figured not to lead the helicopters here for the sake of the hotel's residents and _us_. Ruby, get Takashi; tell him to hold off the contest for the pianists until we come back."

"What are you going to do?" she placed her hands on her hips, but took out her cell anyway.

Yue's hard face remained, "I'm calling Yukito, see if he can find out anything about her."

* * *

Patience is a virtue, darlings. The romance _will_ come.

I ain't about to make a fic with no romance in it! That's so...illegal.

Review!

xoxoxoxoxo

Choco


	7. What About Today?

All right. Which would you prefer?

Entrancie or Entrancia?

Entrancie sounds cute.

* * *

Tomoyo's cell phone rang, but nobody heard it.

They were all too busy screaming.

"MEILING! THERE'S A POST! A POST!" Tomoyo shrieked, pointing wildly at the obstacle that the speeding car was nearing. They had been at this for half an hour now…

"I SEE IT, WOMAN! SHUT UP AND LET ME DRIVE!" Meiling screamed and fiercely spun the wheel, making a 360-degree turn.

"YOU'RE GOING TO FACE THE POLICE?!" Sakura cried out, aghast at the amount of red and blue blinking cars that were chasing after them.

There were approximately six news helicopters, ten police cars, two fire trucks, and three police motorcycles.

_Oh, shit,_ Meiling thought, then quickly shook her head. _Language…_

Then, _AH!! THIS IS NO DAMN TIME TO BE WORRYING ABOUT MY LANGUAGE!  
_

* * *

"Goodness, Meiling," Ruby murmured, watching the T.V. "It's on every single channel!" 

Eriol was busy dialing Tomoyo's number while Syaoran was tiredly talking to the head of Soar Records. Yue was out of the room, talking to his brother, Yukito.

Eriol groaned and pressed a button on his cell. "She won't pick up!"

"I wonder why," the pink-haired beauty sarcastically remarked. Ruby had a feeling that Meiling completely forgot about the police and sped away without thinking. "Tomoyo must be freaking out by now."

"That would be a sight to see," the drummer muttered under his breath, knowing that their lead singer was usually calm and collected. He redialed Tomoyo's number.

Finally, she picked it up.

"_Hello?" _Her voice sounded ghastly.

"Tomoyo?" Eriol said. "Why haven't you been picking up?!"

"_OH MY GOSH MEILING!!! STOP THE CAR!" _

"…Oh…" he replied bluntly. He heard the tires screeching and Sakura screaming her lungs off. He wondered how they were going to pull this stunt off, telling the press lies once more to clean the mess up and get Meiling in the clear.

This was not going to be easy. He knew Meiling wasn't the type to give in; she had too much pride. Any punishment, she would take.

Eriol was afraid the upper authority would fire her. Meiling Li was the best manager they've had yet. Well, she was the only one that stayed with them for a few years.

That was saying something, wasn't it?

"Tomoyo, can you hear me?" he asked her desperately. The press must have been having a fun time right about now.

"_MEILING, I SAID WATCH THE POST!"_ Tomoyo shrieked again.

"_I'M NOT GONNA HIT IT, IDIOT!"_

"_Can't we just slow down?" _

"_NO, SAKURA, WE CAN'T!"_

"_JUST _**STOP!**_" _Eriol winced at Tomoyo's tone of voice. That must have been the first time she used that.

"Hey, look, Meiling must've run out of gas," Ruby said, pointing to the T.V. The car was on the side of the street, finally ending the chase. He smiled.

_Tomoyo is so hard to understand._

* * *

The next couple hours were spent trying to get Meiling's license back at the police station. 

One of the reasons Yue hired her was because of her spunk and her attitude. It was needed to get those crazy fans to back off and to make deals with people.

Now, though, she seriously needed to keep her mouth shut.

Syaoran yelled at her the way back to the hotel. "IT'S A CAR, MEILING!"

"BUT IT'S _MY _CAR!" the young manager shouted in reply. "NOW IT'S DEAD!"

"QUIT BLAMING IT ON ME THEN!"

"I'M NOT!"

"THEN SHUT UP!"

"I AM!"

"You two should be a couple," Sakura meekly said, speaking to those that were bickering.

They were riding in Ruby's red Odyssey. Yue was driving while Ruby rode shotgun. Eriol and Tomoyo were in the two seats behind them, and Meiling, Syaoran, and Sakura rode in the very back with Meiling in the middle.

"HELL NO!" they both screamed at her, then looked at each other in surprise.

Once the shock was over, Syaoran smirked, "_Language,_ Li."

She growled. "Sakura, could I switch places with you?"

"Hoe?"

"Please."

"But I like my spo—"

"SAKURA!"

She flinched. "All right, all right."

Syaoran gaped, "What? Every time this girl touches me, I end up getting hurt in some way! Meiling!"

"Would you like me to punch your nose again, Syaoran?" Sakura smiled sweetly at him, moving far back in her seat so Meiling could get over her.

"Why are women so violent?" he snarled.

Sakura pointedly ignored his comment and looked out his window. The trees, the bushes, and the buildings passed by. Just like that time when she sped down that hill on her bike.

Her eyes wandered to Syaoran's face. She blamed herself, saddened by the fact that he broke a rib because of her. Not just for that, but this band wanted her to join.

She shouldn't keep them waiting. It'd be lonely when they leave, but it would be selfish to keep them here while they wait for her answer. Better say it now when she had their attention.

_I hope they don't listen, though._

"Um, you guys, I've thought about it and—"

"Oi, Sakura," Syaoran started, looking ahead of him blankly, "are you related to Nadeshiko?"

Tomoyo stopped talking to Eriol and widened her eyes at him.

Her response startled them all.

Sakura's eyes blinked in confusion. "Who's she?"

Before anymore could be said, a ring broke out. It came from the front.

Sakura wasn't introduced properly when the producers followed them to the police station. She just noticed the two now. But the male one, the one with long, silver hair, produced an unfriendly aura.

A bossy one anyway.

"Hello?" Yue's greeting filled the car's silence. Her green eyes stared at the front.

"Man, Yue. You just had to ruin it, didn't you?" the boy beside her muttered, but Sakura didn't hear.

She was too busy listening to the one sided conversation from Yue.

"Hey… No… They're fine …You did?" Yue's brows scrunched together and Ruby glanced at him, worried.

After a few minutes of huh's and hmm's while focusing on his driving, he frowned, making his lips thin. Ruby concluded that whoever called him had given him not-so-good news. Being the girl she was, she leaned in to hear the speaker on the other side.

Ruby couldn't hear anything.

"Hmm," was all Yue said, and his fellow producer scowled at him. What on earth were they talking about?

_Damn it, Yue_, she thought.

He flipped his phone shut after saying a quick goodbye. Reaching the hotel, he turned off the engine once he parked underneath some trees. Sakura looked at him in the rear mirror, and instinctively, Yue raised his head to stare back.

She took a sharp intake of breath at the sight of his intensive eyes and diverted her gaze outside. The clouds were starting to gather up, she noted.

"Um, Yue?" Eriol blinked and leaned forward. "Why aren't we getting out of the car?"

Yue didn't answer his question, and instead asked, "Why is that girl with you, Meiling?"

"Uh, what?" was her intelligent answer.

"Why is she with you and Tomoyo?"

Sakura was offended. _Hey, I have a name…_

The manager scratched her head. "We kinda just dragged her along. I came to her house and forced to her to come with us."

"Did you get her to talk?" he asked, continuing on with his interrogation.

"Huh?"

Yue took a deep breath, and turned around to face Sakura and looked her in the eye. "What job did your mother have before she died?"

Tomoyo widened her eyes. _How did he know about that?_

_WHO DOES THIS GUY THINK HE IS?_ _ASKING ME ABOUT MY _MOM?! Sakura shouted in her mind, but remembered something. She choked, the bile in her throat bothering her.

_Oh, crap... It's today?!_

Syaoran, looking at her face, took out his handkerchief and dropped it on her lap. "Here."

It took her a full minute to comply. Tears were running down Sakura's face without her permission.

_No, no, no, no! Quit crying! Only Tomoyo and Touya are allowed to see you cry! Stop! Stop!_

"I—" she choked out, trying to sound strong. "I don't…"

That fierce gaze he held on her wasn't comforting, and it only made more tears come down.

"Yue!" Ruby scolded him, but she knew he wasn't paying attention. "YUE!"

The man sighed and took the keys out of the wheel, turning the car off. He stepped out of the car and walked towards their room.

Ruby gaped in response to his actions and quickly turned to Sakura, who was laying on Syaoran's chest. He winced. The rib still hurt, but strangely, he didn't mind.

"I'm so sorry, Sakura-chan! That was rude of him!" she apologized, seeing Meiling was now comforting her with the help of Tomoyo. Eriol was trying to open the doors. They were locked inside.

_The subject of her mother must've brought back memories. Ugh, YUE! _Meiling thought.

* * *

When Sakura was brought home, she was in no mood to speak. Really, she didn't even think of playing on the piano until she saw it. Touya heard her, and he was about to shout at her when he saw her sitting at the piano stool. 

He decided to shut his mouth, but his heart tightened when she played with the same sadness she used to play before she met Celestine.

_There it goes, _he thought sadly, hearing her music fill the emptiness of the house. Why couldn't she play happy music? This house was so depressed every single day…

Touya retired to his room. He couldn't stand to listen to her playing. Calling up Syaoran on his cell, he decided to find out what happened.

* * *

"I called Yukito," Yue explained to them in their room. "And he said that Nadeshiko looked a whole lot like her mother, but it wasn't her." 

"B-but," Meiling stammered, "I saw Nadeshiko's photo in her locker! It was the exact same picture you showed us!"

Ruby perked up from her reclined chair. "You mean the photo with the flowers all around her and when she's turned sideways?"

"Yes!" Meiling confirmed and nudged Eriol beside her, who was about to fall asleep. He nodded, not knowing what he was nodding to. Tomoyo stifled a giggle.

Syaoran, though, was back in his own room, not wanting to have anything to do with Nadeshiko, let alone talk about her.

"Yukito is best friends with Touya, Sakura's brother," Yue growled. "He would know what their mother looked like."

"And it's Nadeshiko!" Meiling nearly screamed. "I know she is! How else would Sakura know how to play the piano and sing at the same time?"

"That doesn't explain anything. Many people can do that," Ruby pointed out, starting to get the gist of what Yue was doing. She expectantly stared at him, and he nodded lightly. They were going to see if this girl was really worth it.

"NOT THE FREAKING PIANO CONTESTANTS!" The lead vocalist had to hold Meiling down.

"You're fond of her, aren't you?" Ruby was amazed at how Meiling felt so strongly about Sakura, and Tomoyo came at her defense.

"I am too, Ruby. The thing is, Sakura's different from all those people that want to be the keyboard in our band. I don't want anyone that just gets into our band just because Syaoran is in it or because they think they could famous," the amethyst jewel said. Under her breath, she muttered, "Those sort of people disgust me."

Eriol peacefully gave in to sleep. The last words that came out of Tomoyo's mouth contented him. Now, Yue would need to test Sakura.

Something that he knew Touya dreaded.

* * *

"Hello?" Syaoran yawned, answering his stupid phone that had to go off at 10:00 at night. Some people just wanted to sleep. 

"_Li? It's Touya,"_ the person said.

"Oh, hey—"

"_WHY IN THE EARTH DID MY SISTER COME INTO THE HOUSE CRYING?!?!? YOU KNOW THE FIRST THING SHE DID? SHE PLAYED ON THE PIANO! THE PIANO THAT WAS GATHERING DUST FOR NOT BEING USED FOR ONE DAY!"_

Syaoran fell off his bed. This was going to be long…

"_AND WHY WAS SHE IN THE NEWS?! I WAS JUST ON MY WAY HOME, AND SUDDENLY, THAT SAME CAR THAT MEILING DROVE PASSED BY ME! I SAW MY SIS IN THAT CAR!"_

Oh, this was worse than Syaoran thought.

"_SAKURA WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AT HOME THE WHOLE DAY! IT'S_—" Realization hit Touya.

The guitarist knew that something was wrong. "What?"

"_It's today,"_ Touya whispered.

"What's today?"

"_Shit, no..."_ and the phone released a high-pitched sound, telling Syaoran that Touya hung up.

"Okay…" Syaoran shrugged it off, but he couldn't go back to sleep. The pillows felt uncomfortable; the sheets were rough under his feel now. It bugged him.

He stayed up till twelve in the morning. Out of habit, Syaoran glanced at the calendar.

August 21st.

He quickly sat up.

_Shit no._

* * *

"All right, so, now that we both are confident that you guys like this Sakura, we'll see if she is fit to be in this band tomorrow," Ruby chirped happily, and took her cell to contact Soar Records to prepare the studio. 

Tomoyo nodded. "But can't we do it when she goes farther into her school year? I would hate for her to miss her first few days in school."

Meiling grunted. "I'd leave that school for anything."

Tomoyo eyed the manager. "At least not tomorrow. She hasn't even said if she wanted to be a member."

Yue frowned. "She doesn't want to join?" he asked her.

"No! No!" Tomoyo replied quickly. "Sakura said that she's thinking about it."

He sat back in his chair. "I see… then we have to hear her play."

Meiling's eyes widened, not expecting that answer from him. "What do you mean you _have_ to?"

"She has to be very good at singing and playing the piano if she hasn't given her consent, and yet you still recommend her, right?"

Tomoyo chuckled nervously while Meiling foolishly looked away. They hadn't exactly heard Sakura play or sing.

The one who had, however, was currently snoring on Tomoyo's lap.

"Oh, um—hey, Yue, what's today? Chiharu's saying that the studio isn't available for tomorrow, and she thinks it would be better to test her a week from now," Ruby said, covering her hand on the part of the phone where she spoke.

Yue looked at his digital watch to check the date. His partner waited impatiently, tapping her foot.

"YUE!"

"August 21st," he whispered.

"What?"

"August 21st," he said again, louder. Tomoyo turned pale and gripped Eriol's shirt. She heard Meiling inhale sharply.

So many things happened today, and it was a good thing the guitarist wasn't in the room.

How could Chiharu have forgotten that today was August 21st? How could _they_ have forgotten?

The day when Nadeshiko rebelled and changed Soar Records with Syaoran's mother, Yelan.

Fear tightened around Tomoyo's heart. _What if Nadeshiko really _was_ Sakura's mother? _

* * *

Um, okay, constructive critism, suggestions, the works. Because, you know what?

I need an S+S moment in here!

Don't worry. This fic is mostly about Sakura and Syaoran.Just not there yet.

Review!

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Choco


	8. How's Dinner Sound?

Song: _Tomoe_ sung by Iwao Junko. Go to animelyrics. c o m. to read the Japanese translation. Once again, check my bio to know how to listen! I totally have no ownage of the songs I put in here!

Entrancia likes this song. :D

**

* * *

****TOO FAST, TOO RECKLESS**

**Li Meiling, the manager of the famous band, **_**Celestine, **_**did another one of her infamous 'chases' with the band's lead vocalist up front. Riding in a ****2007 model Honda Civic si Coupe****, she exceeded the speed limit to almost 160 miles per hour! She blames it all on the helicopters, but this definitely was not the first time she broke a rule. For example, before Li became a major part of **_**Celestine**_**, she had her license confiscated once when she drove off the roads and into the lands of a farmer. This farmer did not press any charges and only requested for Li's rights of driving, namely, her driver's license, to be taken away. **

**However, ever since she became the manager for Japan's favorite teen band, her license was taken away twice! Both were for speeding on the highways and for causing numerous—but minor—car crashes.**

"OH, COME _ON!_" Meiling threw the newspaper on the floor and squished it under her foot. "I DID NOT MAKE OTHER CARS CRASH _INTO EACH OTHER_!"

"It's called exaggeration, darling, and it sells," Ruby sourly commented, leaning back in her velvet chair.

"This won't be good for us," Eriol sighed, running his fingers through his hair. Tomoyo lay beside him on the queen sized bed, sleeping quietly beneath the comforter.

For some unknown reason, Meiling, Tomoyo, and Eriol were in Yue and Ruby's room. There was, of course, one bed for the couple. But for another mysterious reason, when Eriol woke up, he was facing Tomoyo on the bed.

The possibilities of what might have happened scared him, but when he saw Ruby and Yue sleeping together on the reclining chair, he calmed down and remembered that they were all talking about Sakura when he drifted to sleep.

Also, they were both still in their clothes from yesterday. There was absolutely no way that they could have done _anything— _

"Eriol, I know Tomoyo's pretty, but quit looking at her like that," Ruby's voice cut in his thoughts. He coughed, blushing. "Sorry."

All heads turned when Yue entered the room, wearing a black shirt and dark faded jeans with a white towel hanging off his left shoulder. He sat down in one of the chairs while drying his long silver hair with a towel.

"What?" he growled, glaring at all of them.

Meiling gaped at him. "I'm sorry, but you wearing casual clothes…it looks weird."

Ruby smiled. "I think he looks sexy."

"Eh, heh, you are forbidden to say that again."

"Girl, I am his wife; I can say anything I want."

Eriol chuckled when he saw some bits of pink on the subject of the discussion. Yue was trying hard not to listen to their conversation.

A hand touched his arm.

"Oh, good morni-"

"STAY OFF MY BED!" Tomoyo shrieked and kicked him off. They'd make a nice family, don't you think?

Blushing hard, she pulled up the comforter and covered herself, completely unaware that she was not naked.

Meiling laughed and crouched down near Eriol, whose face was on the ground. "Oh, you poor thing."

"Right, and who was it that got her license taken away three times?" his muffled voice came out from the carpet floor. "Oh, my mistake, _four _times."

"Shut up."

"What did the paper say, Mei?" Tomoyo groggily asked her, wiping her eyes and yawning.

Yue picked up the newspaper, looking over it. After a few seconds, his eyes narrowed. "They remembered."

"Remembered what?" Ruby stood up and came over. She read it aloud.

**What's more interesting about this particular day is that it is the anniversary of when Nadeshiko, the well-known model and singer of Soar Records, had abandoned her contract and violated the rules of the agency. It is still not known what rules she did not follow and why she ran away from being a high-class celebrity to an anonymous person. She was rumored to have been spending her time with a male, but no one knows who he was.**

Meiling nervously chuckled. "That gave me goose bumps. Don't read like that again."

"Hush, I'm not done," Ruby scolded.

**Li Yelan, the makeup artist of Soar Records, was fired on the spot. Although she claims she doesn't even want to work for that company anymore, her son, Li Syaoran, is part of **_**Celestine.**_** His father, Li Xueyou, was the Head of the Photography in the section of modeling. It is obvious that both knew Nadeshiko. Li Xueyou now owns his own business for photography with his wife working for him. **

Tomoyo sighed. "It's a good thing Syaoran's not in here."

"Even if I didn't drive around, they would still put all of that on the news," Meiling blurted out randomly, sitting down beside Tomoyo.

"You reminded them, though." Eriol rose up and walked towards the door.

Yue's voice stopped him. "Where are you going?"

"My room," he responded. "I need to see if Syaoran's all right."

* * *

Syaoran jumped over the small gate and walked the path up to the front door of her house. He had no idea as to why he was here, what made him come here, or how he hot linked Yue's silver Nissan 350z S-Tune GT. 

These people have cool cars…

The house had this gloomy aura that made him hesitate, and he stopped in front of the door. What was he going to say? That he just felt like dropping by? He didn't even know the girl's last name, for crying out loud!

All that stuff about protecting her and being her friend, he just went along with it because he got so pissed at her classmates. What could she have done to make them hate her so much? So far, she acted like a normal girl. She talked like a normal girl. She was as moody as a normal girl.

There were bitchier people at that school of hers.

Maybe that was it. Sakura wasn't a bitch like the rest of them, and that was why they hated her. It made sense to Syaoran.

He didn't realize he made a fist with his hand until he heard tinkling sounds from inside. The fist slowly loosened when he realized the tinkling sounds were a piano. He pressed his ear to the door to hear more.

The music she played… It was so slow, but it was a beautiful kind of slow. It flowed.

Like tears.

All of a sudden, Syaoran felt like he busted his heart. It was as if he wanted to go to a corner and just…cry.

* * *

Back in their room, Meiling laid on the bed, facing the ceiling. She heard the shower start, and she knew that Tomoyo would take up all the hot water. 

She thought about last night's discussion. About Nadeshiko…Yelan…Sakura…

Was Sakura really worth it? What if she wasn't as good as Eriol claimed her to be? What if Nadeshiko was really not her mother?

She sighed, aggravated. _Does that matter? _

Were they so desperate for a pianist?

_We sure are acting like it,_ thought Meiling, and she frowned.

_Wait a sec…_

Why was she doubting Sakura?! Really, the nice girl couldn't be _that_ bad! Eriol knew talent when he saw it. Hopefully, though, his judgment wasn't clouded by pity and kindness.

Ugh, they shouldn't have dragged Sakura into this. What if she didn't make the cut? What would happen then? Knowing Sakura and her fragile personality, it would crush her if she built up so much confidence just so Yue could hear her play. What then if he didn't like her?

That would suck so bad. Meiling wouldn't ever face Sakura if that happened. She already had too much to handle…

* * *

Tomoyo sang softly while in the shower, combing her fingers through her long hair. 

_Sunshine dances between the clouds and pours into the plains_

_The season has just begun._

Of course, she made this song by herself. No one knew about it.

_I run up to the voice of my friend_

_And there, as I turn to her, is always her smiling face_

_Where the brightest sun always shines_

In order for it to work, though, she needed a pianist. She had so many songs that required piano accompaniment.

_As I walk in the street in the freezing winter_

_You encourage me naturally_

_And helped me so many times._

Everything was ready for it to be introduced as a new song. The music sheets, the forms, all that stuff.

_Like you, just like you, I want to be someone who can give courage to others._

She laughed to herself. How ironic that part of the song was…

_Maybe Sakura should sing it, _she sarcastically thought.

_Even on that distant road_

_The clouds are going towards that faraway place, going towards the future._

_Someday the road will separate_

_And the time for our individual futures will begin_

_But surely we'll both shine._

_Even if the time comes for us to be hurt, for our dreams to break apart_

_I want to have the support of your love_

_I want to have your friendship._

_Because of you, because of you, I want to be a stronger person._

_The times you laughed, the times you cried_

_They're shining as brightly as a spring day._

She was going to need to change that last part, though. Tomoyo knew that the times people cried were never as bright as a spring day.

It was exactly the opposite.

* * *

"Idiot," Eriol uttered to himself in his succulent, English accent. "What is he up to?" 

In his hand was a crumpled-up note clearly written in Chinese, addressed to him. Sitting down in a nearby chair, Eriol ran his hands through his hair.

_What the heck is he going to do there?_

* * *

It took so much of Syaoran's energy to actually push the doorbell and to remain standing there. Yes, it was early in the morning, and he was ringing the doorbell on the door of Sakura's house. 

_Ring._

Aw, man, what was he going to say? _Come on, think._

The piano stopped.

_What time is it? 8:46?? Holy—what the shit am I DOING HERE?!?_

Footsteps…

_Okay, calm down. Just…take her out for lunch._

Doorknob turned…

_Wait…I meant breakfast._

And Sakura swung the door open. "What do you want?"

Syaoran nervously scratched his head and took a deep breath.

"Do you want to get some dinner?"

* * *

OMG. DINNER. I HAVE TO GET MEILING ON THIS ONE.

HAH!!!!

Okay, okay. I know. I know. You all have been waiting, and it's shorter than the other chapters.

Well, the proofreading took longer than I thought, and it was crazy. School started, I had homework, and I was on histus from proofreading. I was about to give up too, but I decided not to.

Right, well, go on ahead and flame me. It's fine. BUT ONLY FOR THIS CHAPTER! I** advise you guys to reread the past chaps, too**. It's important! I'll be getting to my other story soon!

REVIEW

xoxoxoxo

Choco


	9. Another Impact of My Life?

In this chapter, I used a nursery rhyme because Sakura doesn't know any other songs that fit into happy.

Her mother taught her how to play it a long time ago.

Sorry, Entrancia! I did some last minute revisions to the story. I know, I know.

To SakuraKxSyaoranL : I revised mainly because of the Meiing Li problem. I kept on saying Rae. But, since I was proofreading, why not correct some stuff? I know I still have grammar and spelling, but, what the heck? You guys understand, right? I mean, I hope... wah.

* * *

"Sneak up on her? Why would we want to do that?" Ruby looked uncertain. They were _adults,_ for goodness sakes. This sounded weird, especially coming from _Yue_.

That was creepy.

He stood up, wrapping his arms around her waist. "It's nothing. If Meiling and Tomoyo are worked up over her, shouldn't we find out?"

_Nuh uh. If he is about to use that seducing trick of his, he better think again_. "Dear, listen to me. The only person I had ever stalked was you. I am _not_ about to do that again, especially if it's a girl."

"So if it was a boy you'd go after him?"

She slapped him lightly. "Why do you think so lowly of me?"

"Why not?"

"Hey!"

Yue sighed. "Look, it's business. If we don't get a fourth member soon, Celestine is going to disband and we'll both get fired."

Ruby frowned. She already knew that, ever since she started working with Syaoran and the rest. It was their responsibility, and it would become their fault.

But she wasn't about to agree without a fight.

She scoffed, "What makes you think I'd follow you?"

Surprisingly, Yue chuckled. "The day we got married."

_Some fight._

* * *

Sakura's mouth was wide open. Her ears couldn't believe what she had just heard. Did Li Syaoran, the famed guitarist of Celestine, just ask her out to _dinner_?! 

In the morning?!

"What's so funny?" he growled. Suddenly, he felt his palms sweating. _Is she making fun of me?_

"No—" giggle, "—nothing's—" quick gasp of breath, "—funny".

Not quite believing her, he asked, "Something wrong?"

_Something _wrong_? Oh, you should be asking yourself that. _She clamped her hand over her mouth. The giggles were escaping. It would just be so rude to laugh in front of a person who wanted to ask you out.

Just wait till Meiling hears about this…She would never pass this up.

She straightened her back, composing herself. "If you give me ten minutes, I would love to go to _dinner _with you."

She went up the stairs, leaving a confused Syaoran at the doorway. _Dinner? Who said anything about dinner? _

* * *

He was prepared. Earplugs: Check. Note: Check. Car— 

Shit.

Where did Ruby's Odyssey go? Yue's Nissan? Meiling's car was at the mechanics…

"Eriol?" a voice said out loud.

Eriol spun around to see Tomoyo clad in a white sundress and light blue hat. She slowly walked towards him and saw his items.

She picked the piece of paper. "What is this? Chinese?"

"Yeah," He kept his eyes off her. It was hard for him to, you know, see her in a _dress_. A pure, innocent dress, showing off the perfect curves...

"Right. I can only read Japanese," she smiled, handing it back to him. "Meiling's coming in a sec. I have Ruby's spare keys. Let's take her…"

Pausing slightly, she scanned the parking lot for that hot red minivan.

"Where's…?"

Eriol shrugged. "I have no idea."

"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU TWO STANDING THERE FOR?! WHERE'S THE CAR? WHERE'S SYAORAN?!"

"Why, Meiling, you look like you want to kill someone," Eriol joked, handing her the note. She harshly ripped it out of his hand.

"What is this?" Meiling whispered dangerously, eyeing the paper.

Tomoyo furrowed her brows. The note only contained, what, five characters or so? Why was Meiling taking such a long time reading it?

Meiling trembled. This was the cue for Eriol to insert the earplugs.

"**WHAT IN THE HELL IS THAT IDIOT DOING AT HER **_**HOUSE?!**_"

The lead vocalist covered her ears. Eriol knew this was coming.

* * *

"Um, is that really your car?" Sakura stood, dumbfounded at the mark. A Nissan…A sports car. She fingered the handle of the passenger seat. 

"I though you came here by plane?" she said, gliding her hand over the roof._ This would stand out, wherever we go…_

Syaoran shuffled his feet. For one, it was not his car. Two, he had no idea why Yue had his car here. Three…

He was new to Tomoeda. Syaoran only knew the way to her house because he had been there before. Grimacing, he thought, _Smooth. Real smooth._

"Do you know any good restaurants?" he asked.

"…"

"What?"

Sakura shook her head._ Even if he acts tough, he's pretty useless._ She sighed inwardly._ I have no right to say that about him when it's true for me too._

"Give me the keys," she ordered. Syaoran raised a brow but dug around in his pockets. Oh, yeah, he hot linked the car!

He couldn't tell her that. It was illegal. It would be a bad image for him if she knew he hot linked…

"What's taking you so long? Give me the keys!"

_Shit._

Sakura clicked her tongue. "Did you lose them somewhere?"

_Uh, no._

Assuming his silence meant _yes, _she groaned. She took her hair pin out of her hair. "You are not allowed to tell anyone about this."

Looking at the lock, Sakura inserted her pin inside and broke it. Suddenly, the door opened.

Syaoran gaped at her.

Sliding into her seat, she reached over to his side of the car, unlocked the door, and took the pin out. When his door opened, she saw wires sticking out of the steering wheel. She stared.

"Oh, about that—" Syaoran began.

"This isn't your car?"

He didn't say anything.

"Syaoran! You had me break in into someone else's car and you _hot linked _it?" she cried. _Just some _more_ trouble! Some date this guy is!_

He held his hands up in defense. "Wait! It's fine. This is Yue's car."

She gawked. "BUT YOU DON'T HAVE THE KEYS, WHICH MUST MEAN YOU STOLE FROM YUE!"

"…Maybe."

"SYAORAN!"

Syaoran muttered under his breath, "It's harmless."

Sakura stayed silent. He was still standing outside the car and she was sitting in the passenger's side. He felt awkward, but for her, this was the chance.

"I don't get your band," Sakura started.

He raised his head. "What?"

She took a deep breath. "Your band. Your type of people. I don't get them."

Syaoran still didn't understand.

"Everyone's different, you know? Meiling's so…carefree and outgoing. Tomoyo shy, but speaks up when she needs to. Eriol's just…there to be supportive. And you..."

She cast her eyes down. "I don't get you the most."

He gazed at her hair. It shone off the rising sun, making it red and blonde.

"You don't smile, but you have everything I ever wanted. Sometimes, when you don't look, I would watch you."

Syaoran _still_ didn't get what she was trying to say.

Sakura peered at him. "Why don't you seem to enjoy what you have?"

That hit it.

Syaoran bent down in the car to see her eyes at her level. "Why don't you?"

Surprised, she jerked back.

"You're the one who never smiles. And when you do, it's fake. Everything about you is fake!"

Syaoran tilted her chin so he could get a better look at her face. "It's not us who try to keep you out! You hide so no one would get a look at you! Why?!"

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him. "Let go of me."

"You say you're hopeless! You say you're not worth it! But you never even _try_! You let your parent's _death_ get to you!"

"Let g-go of me."

He let go of her chin, but grabbed her shoulders instead. "Don't you know how hard Meiling and Tomoyo have been working?! They are trying to help you! You don't do anything at all but play some notes on paper!"

She widened her eyes.

"That's why no one _likes_ you! You are so depressed all the time and you don't let anyone get _close to you_!"

Sakura blinked in her tears. "Shut. Up."

"You keep on saying no one wants to help you, but you don't let them! Don't you understand?! _We're trying to get you into Celestine!_"

Authoress claps. Great job, Syaoran. You just made her cry. Can you feel the sarcasm in that?

"SO EVERYTHING YOU GUYS HAVE DONE FOR ME WAS TO PERSUADE ME TO BE A MEMBER?!" Sakura sobbed. She struggled out of his grasp. "ALL YOU WANTED WHEN I CAME IN WAS SO YOUR BAND WOULD BE EVEN MORE FAMOUS, WASN'T IT?! YOU USED ME!"

"_I never said that!"_ Syaoran seethed.

"WHO CARES?! I'M NOT JOINING ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH A HEARTLESS JOKE LIKE _YOU_! **STAY AWAY FROM ME! TELL EVERYONE ELSE TO STAY AWAY!**"

Taking her purse, Sakura kicked her door wider and ran to her house, jumping over the fence. She fumbled with the keys.

"Sakura! Wait!"

She slammed her door shut.

Syaoran buried his head in his arms. _What did I just say to her?_

Unknown to either of them was a red Odyssey in the trees. The two people in the minivan heard every word of the conversation that just took place.

* * *

"Yue and Ruby aren't in their room. I've knocked forever." Tomoyo came back, exhausted. She sat down with Eriol on her bed. Meiling took out her cell phone to call their producers. 

"_Hello?"_

"Ruby? Where are you guys? We need the car to go to Sakura's house. Syaoran's there."

"_Really? Well, why don't you listen to this? Let me turn on the speaker phone."_

Meiling gave the phone a puzzling look, but did as Ruby asked so Tomoyo and Eriol could hear.

"_Roll down the windows some more, Yue…"  
_

And someone's voice came on.

"_That's why no one likes you! You are so depressed all the time and you don't let anyone get _close to you!"

"Huh? Is that…Syaoran?" Tomoyo questioned.

"_You keep on saying no one wants to help you, but you don't let them! Don't you understand?! _We're trying to get you into Celestine!_"_

"What is he saying?!" Eriol asked. They heard another person cry.

"_SO EVERYTHING YOU GUYS HAVE DONE FOR ME WAS TO PERSUADE ME TO BE A MEMBER?! ALL YOU WANTED WHEN I CAME IN WAS SO YOUR BAND WOULD BE EVEN MORE FAMOUS, WASN'T IT?! YOU USED ME!"_

_Sakura? _Meiling thought.

"_I never said that_!_"_

"_WHO CARES?! I'M NOT JOINING ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH A HEARTLESS JOKE LIKE YOU! __**STAY AWAY FROM ME! TELL EVERYONE ELSE TO STAY AWAY!**__"_

The line went dead.

* * *

Sakura cried against her front door. He was right. The house was dark and gloomy. She was depressed and didn't feel like talking to anyone else. 

One thing she hated about what he said was how he lightly used the word 'death' and how he described the piano as a mere thing with "some notes on paper". She would never forgive him for that.

Seeing her piano, she struck a key. She was also sick of how all she played were laments and slow, painful songs. But she didn't know how to play a happy one.

She hit another one. What would he know, anyway? He wasn't the one who had to put up with bullying in his life. He was loved by his parents and blessed with friends and…liked by everyone.

She wasn't.

Sitting down on her piano stool, she laid three fingers on a group of three black keys. In her head, she recited:

A-G-F-G-A-A-A-G-G-G-A-A-A-A-G-F-G-A-A-A-A-G-G-A-G-F

She repeated it, this time, she sang softly:

_Mary had a little lamb,_

_Little lamb,_

_Little lamb._

_Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow._

_Ugh, that was pitiful. _She thought the song was played too slow. Sakura quickened the pace, the way her mother showed her.

That still didn't work. Well, she wasn't about to give up.

After a few more tries, Sakura stopped playing. She had to think of something else besides her parents.

She thought hard, and in her mind she saw Touya getting married in a wedding dress, giggling.

Sakura blinked many times._ Oh .My .Gosh. Where did _that_ come from?_

Shaking her head in disgust, she thought again.

This time, it was Tomoyo and Eriol on a cruise, alone together. She smiled.

_Another one!_

There was Meiling and a cute guy she had never seen before. They were fighting, but in the end, they made up.

_Okay…Something else…_

Touya was there again in a wedding. He held someone's hand and went out of the church. Sakura imagined it was…

_MS. KAHO?!?_

Just laughing to herself, Sakura wanted one more.

_Hmm…_

Quickly, she opened her eyes and felt goose bumps traveling down her arms.

She had seen herself eating dinner with Syaoran.

* * *

A hand touched Syaoran's back. He stood up and looked behind him. "Touya?" 

"Gaki, what did you do?" he murmured in a quiet voice. Beside him was a silver-haired man that looked exactly like a younger version of Yue with his hair cut short and wearing round glasses. He carried a brown bag full of groceries.

"Yukito?!" Syaoran exclaimed.

"Hey, Syaoran. How's everyone in Soar?" He smiled sadly, having overheard Sakura's last words. Syaoran didn't reply. He saw Yue and Ruby standing outside the Odyssey. They walked over.

"Syaoran, let's go," Yue called out. Yukito saw his older brother and acknowledged him by nodding.

Syaoran slowly went to them, head down. He didn't care if Yue saw that he took his car. He didn't care if Touya was mad at him because he shouted at his little sister.

He cared about what Sakura was doing in her house right now. If she was playing the piano to take her mind off the heated argument...

Or sitting in a dark corner, crying.

* * *

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. 

SYAORAN NO BAKA!

Okay, I'm good. :)

Review! This chapter is a sorry for having such a short one last time. Expect another one...uh...next week?

Let me now leave you all to get mad at me. I need to think about what happens next. Hehe.

I love every single one of you! Constructive criticism is the best review! Next to 'I love this story' reviews, that is.

xoxoxoxo

Choco


	10. Tomoyo?

Song: _Amrita _sung by Yui Makino. Amrita means nectar, or immortal. Ah, dang it, search it up! Sorry if the lyrics on animelyrics don't sound so sad, but do you know how hard it is to find a sad song that doesn't concern love and has piano in it?! Well, anyway, when you play _Amrita_, pretend that it's being played by the piano. She's singing the end parts in here. And imagine that the song being played has so much hurt in it…

As for those that were wondering, I put English lyrics in here so you would know what the song's saying. The lyrics play an important part of this story later on.

La la la, Entrancia.

Eh heh.

* * *

"WHAT IS MARY'S PROBLEM!?" Sakura screeched, close to pulling the hairs out of her head. "AND THAT STUPID LAMB OF HERS!?"

"Sakura…"

"I SWEAR I WILL KILL THAT LAMB!"

"Hoi, Sakura…"

"WHOEVER MADE THIS HAPPY RETARDED SONG SHOULD JUST FREAKIN' DIE!"

Touya banged on the piano keys, making her jump.

"What is wrong with you?!" he yelled, breathing heavily since he had to run down from his room to halt her horrible playing.

"NOTHING!"

He shook his head. "Why are you trying to play _Mary_ _Had A Little Lamb?_"

"BECAUSE IT'S HAPPY!"

He stopped himself from laughing out loud just in time. He furrowed his brows. "W-what?"

Sakura paused. She looked down. "I…I just wanted to play something different."

That caught Touya off guard. Sakura wasn't one to change. Especially after that brat shouted those things at her face.

Oh, Touya would kick his butt for sure.

After today, Touya had to attend college once again Tokyo University. He was up in his room, ready to start packing, but Sakura's pitiful piano playing on a simple song made him crazy. She'd been like that ever since this morning. Sakura didn't want to eat breakfast nor did she eat lunch.

Maybe…it was something Syaoran said?

* * *

The sound of a slap went throughout the hotel room of Syaoran and Eriol.

"YOU—YOU IGNORANT RAT!" Meiling screamed, then bit her lower lip. _Ignorant rat? Weak… _she said to herself.

"Is that the best you can come up with?" was his quiet answer.

"SHUT UP! I CAN'T EVEN THINK RIGHT NOW!"

"Meiling, calm down," Tomoyo breathed, wondering if she should call Sakura to tell her about Syaoran. It would explain why he became so ticked off.

"UGH! YOU KNOW HOW—HOW… WHAT'S THAT WORD?!"

Eriol looked at her. "Fragile?"

"DO YOU KNOW HOW FRAGILE THAT GIRL IS?! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO GO AND SAY THAT?!" Meiling seethed, grabbing Syaoran by the collar.

She was pissed at the fact that he told her straight out of what he thought of her. Of course, that was what Meiling thought of her too, but it was just hard to tell Sakura that.

While they were all busy listening to Meiling's ranting, Tomoyo discreetly went out of the room, taking her cell with her.

She needed to tell Sakura about Syaoran and his family.

* * *

"Mary had a little lamb…"

_Ring…_

"Little lamb…"

_RING…_

"Little lamb…"

_RING!! _

"Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was white as—"

_RING!! RING!! RING!!_

"ALL RIGHT, ALREADY!" Sakura gave up and went through her purse to find her cell phone.

She flipped it open. "WHOEVER IS CALLING, THIS BETTER BE GOOD OR I SWEAR I WILL KILL YOU WITH MY LAMB!"

"…_Hello?"_

Sakura flinched, realizing what she said. "Excuse me, I meant piano."

"_Sakura?"_

She blinked. "Who…is this?"

The person on the other side seemed hesitant. _"Tomoyo."_

"Oh…OH!" Sakura slapped her forehead.

"_Yeah…"_

"I'm sorry! That threat was meant for Syaoran! I thought he was going to call me, and…and…"

Tomoyo giggled. _"It's okay, Sakura-chan."_

Sakura smiled. "So, what is it?"

"_Um…do you want to meet me outside the town library?"_

"Hmm? Now?"

"_Hai."_

"Sure, but—why?" Sakura stretched, glad she had an excuse to go out. Touya was acting weird lately… Anyway, it was Tomoyo. Sakura didn't mind Tomoyo as long as the girl didn't say anything about Syaoran.

"_Please?" _Tomoyo sounded as if she was giving those puppy dog eyes of hers right now.

"Okay… Is anyone else coming with you?" She didn't want to see _him_.

"_Nope. Just me."_

Sakura inwardly sighed out of relief. "Then I'll see you in about ten minutes?"

"_Yes. Bye."_

"Bye."

She hastily wrote a note saying that she had gone to the library with Tomoyo and stuck it on the fridge. If she was quick, then she could play on the piano there before Tomoyo came.

The library's grand piano was beautiful.

* * *

Tomoyo slid on her tennis shoes while tying her hair up in a ponytail. If she wanted to go without being noticed by the ever-observant Ruby, she would have to give them an excuse.

"I can't stand this. I'm taking a walk," she coldly said, glaring hard at Meiling and Syaoran. "When you guys are done shouting at each other, call me."

And with that, she slammed the door.

_I hope that convinced them,_ she thought after running down the steps of the hotel. Reaching the double front doors, she pushed them open and dashed to the library.

Tomoyo had never told anyone this, but she used to live here before her mother became famous. Many things had certainly changed, like those cherry blossom trees that she had never seen before.

_Where _did _those come from?_ Shrugging at the view, Tomoyo ran faster. She breathed in deeply, not thinking about where she was going.

She thought she heard something playing.

_Okay, was it this way, or over there?_ She pointed left, down the road, and the sidewalk ahead of her questionably. However, there was that 'sound' again. She decided to follow it, walking at a faster pace.

A stout, white building appeared in her view. She grinned. "There you are!"

_When the silver rain began to fall,_

_I thought that it was a part of me_

_Please stop the passing of time._

"…Eh…?"

_The sound of raindrops echoes across the horizon,_

_Something definite that, _

_In those day, was amrita._

Tomoyo clutched her chest…this feeling…it was intense… She squeezed her eyes shut and fell to her knees, panting heavily.

_When the silver rain began to fall, I thought that it was a part of me_

_And I dried my tears_

She ran up the steps of the library, the playing of the piano growing louder as she ran closer. _The lights…they're off. Then what's…?_

_Shooting stars cascade straight down_

_And become—_

"Tomoyo!?" Sakura abruptly sat up. The piano stool fell and she almost tripped over it. Right outside the glass door of the library was Tomoyo, lightly-sweating.

Sakura hurried to pick up the stool and pushed it under the piano. Taking a coverlet, she laid it on the black grand piano, but the music sheets spread out on the floor. The library was set up like a wall of dominoes. If one bookshelf falls down, they all fall.

Tomoyo, in turn, merely gaped. By the sun's light, she could barely see Sakura and papers that flew everywhere. The lights weren't on, and when she tried to turn the handle of the door, it was locked.

Wasn't the library closed today? How could Sakura have gotten in?

"Tomoyo! I thought you didn't have a car!" Sakura yelled, loud enough so she was able to hear through the glass. She quickly went over to unlock the doors for her.

Tomoyo froze. "Was that you?"

"Was what me?" Sakura stuck in a key.

Tomoyo pushed on the doors. "Were you playing?! Just now?!"

"Yes…"

Tomoyo didn't speak. Instead, she made her way to where Sakura was just ten seconds ago. It was covered in velvet, but she knew. The body was that of a piano's. Slowly, she faced Sakura.

"The way you play…don't you know the effect it has on people?!"

Sakura looked at her. "K-kind of."

"What were you thinking?" Tomoyo cried. "You shouldn't be allowed to play like that!"

Sakura backed away, wide mouth open" What?"

For one second, just one second, she thought she saw Syaoran there in front of her. _  
_

"You brought back memories I didn't want to remember!" Tomoyo screamed, tears threatening to come down.

_What's happening?_

Sakura's green eyes that were full of determination just minutes ago dulled. "Tomoyo…chan?"

_I know she doesn't yell._

She walked backwards while Tomoyo advanced towards her. "YOU! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO PLAY LIKE THAT?! I HATE IT!"

_What is she doing?!_

Sakura steadied herself, "To-Tomoyo-chan…wh-what are you doing?"

Tomoyo was moving everything out of her way; the tables, the chairs, and the bookshelves were all being turned over.

_Oh my gosh, the books!_

"YOU'RE SO PITEOUS ALL THE TIME!"

"Wait! Stop! The shelves are making the bigger shelves fall! _TOMOYO-CHAN!_"

"_**I HATE THE WAY YOU PLAY!"**_

"_WATCH OUT!_"

The last thing Sakura remembered was pushing Tomoyo out of the way.

* * *

"Isn't Tomoyo supposed to be back by now?" Ruby murmured, checking her watch. "The food's cold."

"She said to call her, remember?" Syaoran sighed.

Meiling took out her cell and speed-dialed Tomoyo's phone. After a few minutes, she took it away from her ear, staring at it. Normally, Tomoyo would pick up after the first call.

"Tomoyo's not answering. I'm worried."

"I'm with you." Eriol stood from his chair. "I'm going around to look for her. Who's coming with?"

"Me," Syaoran and Meiling chorused.

* * *

"TOMOYO!"

"TOMOYO-SAN!"

"TO-MO-YO!" Meiling screamed. They had been looking for half an hour now! This town wasn't that big, and they still couldn't find her!

"Wait, Meiling! Do you hear that?!" Eriol yelled, pointing in some direction. Meiling strained her ears to hear what Eriol said he was hearing.

…

"Sirens?" she breathed out. A chill went up and down her back. _No…_

"_TOMOYO! WHERE ARE YOU?!"_ Meiling ran in the direction of the sirens, still screaming out Tomoyo's name. Syaoran and Eriol followed close behind.

_No…_

They were family. Each one of them was all they had. Sure, Syaoran had his sisters and parents, but he didn't love them like he did Eriol, Meiling, Tomoyo, Yue, and Ruby. Eriol had his grandfather, but he was in England. Meiling had Syaoran's side of the family.

_It better not be…_

And Tomoyo's mother was never home. To lose one member of Celestine was like losing a sibling.

A fire truck and ambulance came into view. The sun was about to set. They were by the library.

Syaoran could hear a reporter nearby.

"_Two girls, ages ranging around seventeen or eighteen, were found in the library today under huge bookshelves that seemed to have fallen. One has bright brown, almost red hair with green eyes. The other has long, dark hair and matching eyes. They were just found five minutes ago when a citizen came to drop off a borrowed book…"  
_

_Brown hair, green eyes? __**Sakura?!**_ Syaoran panicked.

Meiling gasped and rushed for the ambulance that had just loaded two bodies. "**TOMOYO! SAKURA!**"

Eriol caught up with Meiling. _DAMN IT!_

* * *

**Two days later…**

"Ah, here we are, at the hospital once again," Touya joked. Sakura wanted to hit her brother, but with her left arm broken and an ankle sprained, that was sort of hard to do. She was still dizzy from when that heavy book hit her head…

"Shouldn't you be in college?" she drawled.

"I don't mind, dear sister."

"You'll fail!"

"And?"

Tomoyo smiled at the siblings' bickering. She also had a concussion and a cast on her leg. She and Sakura were on different beds in the same hospital room. It was just thirty minutes ago that they had woken up.

Tomoyo was the first awake. Meiling lay beside her while Eriol sat in a chair, his head on her bed. Ruby and Yue took up the couch and were also sleeping. Touya sat in a wheelchair, head lulled over and drool leaking out of his mouth.

Sighing, she glanced over to Sakura's side of the room. Tomoyo widened her eyes and giggled. Meiling woke up next and looked at what she was giggling at.

"Aww," Meiling had silently whispered. Taking a bread roll from a tray that must have been sent up, she threw it at Syaoran's head. He blushed when he opened his eyes.

Quickly, he let go of Sakura's hand while Meiling and Tomoyo laughed, waking everyone else in the room.

When they all asked, Tomoyo said she met Sakura in the library by chance. Sakura didn't know what to say, since that wasn't true, and she kept silent.

Sakura was granted way into the library even if no one was there. The librarian knew Sakura's parents and allowed her to play the piano there. She was even given a copy of the original key.

The whole time, Syaoran kept to one side of the room while everyone talked. Sakura paid him no attention.

What can you expect? She's still pissed! If he hates it, then he has to apologize first.

While Sakura scolded Touya and his responsibilities as an adult, a nurse came by. "Excuse me, but the visiting hours are over. No one is allowed to stay tonight because the doctor will be checking the patients."

"What? That's bull," Meiling said, but stood anyway. Touya said he's going to finish college just for Sakura's sake and left.

When they all went, Tomoyo and Sakura looked at each other.

"I'm sorry," She whispered. "I had no idea what came over me."

_I do. I have a feeling, anyway. _Sakura's lips curled, turning into a light, forgiving smile. "It's all right."

That was all it took for them to make up.

"What was it you wanted to talk about?" she spoke up, seeing the sun disappear from the window.

Tomoyo was just wondering if she wanted to tell her. _Might as well…_

"Um, well…it's about Syaoran."

Sakura raised a brow. "What about him?"

Tomoyo twiddled with her thumbs under the sheets. "A…reason why…he shouted at you."

Sakura blinked. "When he shouted at me?"

"It's about his family…and it might be about yours."

* * *

Maybe a bit choppy, but I was in a hurry!

Okay, need to go. Byeas!

One more thing. I REALLY WANT CONTSTRUCTIVE CRITISM! IF YOU GUYS THINK THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY STORY, TELL ME SO I CAN FIX IT!!

Okies? Thanks to everyone!

xoxoxo

Choco


	11. A Secret?

Entrancia! Get updating, woman!

* * *

Reporters, journalists, and video cameras dominated the hotel entrance as Yue discreetly parked in the shadow with the red Odyssey, thinking he had avoided the curious and annoying people. 

Didn't work.

"Syaoran-kun! Syaoran-kun!"

"Ah! Meiling-sama!"

"Eriol-san!"

"What do you have to say about this?"

"Did your fight with Kinomoto-san have anything to do with the incident concerning Daidouji-chan?"

"Will Tomoyo's injuries affect her voi—"

"OH. MY. GOSH. JUST SHUT THE HECK _UP!" _Meiling grabbed the closet reporter by his collar. "IF I HEAR 'Tomoyo-chan' OR 'Daidouji' OUT OF YOUR _STINKING _MOUTHS AGAIN, I _WILL _PUNCH YOU IN YOUR GUTS UNTIL YOU THROW THEM _UP_!!"

* * *

Tomoyo faced Sakura completely, getting comfortable. The secret she was about to tell was something that should stay in that room. 

She felt that Sakura would do something about it, as long as it concerned family. Meiling, Eriol, nor she had yet gotten through Syaoran's barrier.

She hoped Sakura could.

"Do you know about Syaoran's mom? Or his dad?"

Sakura shook her head.

Tomoyo sighed, feeling that same heaviness again from when she heard that piano playing. "Okay. They were also part of Soar Records."

Sakura nodded slowly, pulling up the blankets._ It's getting cold in here…_

Tomoyo looked up at the ceiling. "Back then, things were different. In Soar, it used to be that no one who worked in the agency was allowed to get together. It went against the contract that each person signed to work there. Soar was really famous."

Sakura furrowed her brows. _What would this have to do with me?_

"In time," Tomoyo gulped, "Yelan, Syaoran's mom, met Li Xueyou. They both worked for the modeling section and one of Yelan's friends, Nadeshiko, wanted to play…matchmaker."

_Nadeshiko? Syaoran asked me about her…_

The lead singer nervously chuckled. "It was a little fling. Then it…changed. Nadeshiko realized her mistake, and tried to reverse it."

"Wait, who's Nadeshi—"

Tomoyo shushed her. "Don't! I won't have the nerve to talk to you about this later on, so just listen, okay?"

Sakura glanced her way. _Is she scared?_

Beads of sweat climbed down Tomoyo's neck. "I don't know why they made that rule about not being able to date other people in the agency, but Yelan and Xue disobeyed it. They secretly started to go out, and the head of the agency started to have their suspicions.

"Nadeshiko was a young model back then, and she was one of the most famous models ever. Because it was her fault that the two met, she decided to…defend them." Tomoyo was pale.

_I don't think she's supposed to be telling me this…_ "Doesn't that mean Nadeshiko-san stood up against the whole company!?" Sakura incredulously cried out, pulling aside her covers to see Tomoyo better.

"Hai…she only had a few on her side."

"What did the media know?"

"Nothing."

A deafening silence filled the room. Neither Tomoyo nor Sakura could stand it. Sakura had this deep feeling in her chest. Cautiously, she asked, "What happened to Nadeshiko-san?"

Tomoyo glanced down. "Nadeshiko ran away after she won. It was rumored around Soar that she eloped with a professor of a nearby college."

The deep feeling remained. Goose bumps went up and down her arms. Sakura pulled up her covers again to warm her. "Is Soar in…Tokyo?"

"Yes…"

Sakura felt her heart race. "Did the professor come from Tokyo University?!"

Tomoyo widened her eyes, then paused. "I'm not sure."

"Oh." The beeping of Sakura's machine slowed down.

"Anyway," she gulped, the excitement from a few seconds ago passing, "what does his parents have anything to do with my family?"

Tomoyo calmly tried to think. _It's to put a family back together…get a grip!_

"Tomoyo?"

"You can't say anything until I finish explaining, promise?"

Sakura slowly agreed, "Okay…"

Tomoyo closed her eyes. "Yelan and Xue had five children. Syaoran was the only boy and the youngest. When he was somewhere around eight, he started playing guitar. Yelan was the one who came up with the idea to enroll him into an entertainment agency."

Sakura turned towards the ceiling.

"The entertainment agency made him work hard, since they recognized his parents. Ironically, he was assigned for Soar. That was when he stopped."

The auburn-haired girl closed her eyes too. "Stopped what?"

Sakura heard Tomoyo falter. "Talking to his mom and dad."

* * *

"Sakura's not going to be able to play on the piano anytime soon," Eriol said, letting himself fall on his bed in his room.

Syaoran scoffed.

"I don't think we'll be able to go anywhere else either, because of Tomoyo's leg and Syaoran's rib," Meiling said. She was sitting on a chair by a desk, gazing off. Her elbow was propped on the table and her hand held her chin.

Then, she giggled.

Eriol frowned. "What are you laughing about?"

Syaoran was also confused at his cousin's sudden outburst.

She snorted in reply. "Actually, I was just thinking about something."

Their attentions were tuned to her.

"I wonder who'll be hurt next," she joked with a grin.

Syaoran rolled his eyes and got back to tuning his E.Guitar. He just didn't understand Meiling sometimes.

His guitar was black and red, with a lighting bolt going through the bridge. He was sitting down on his bed, turning the knobs this way and that, plucking at the strings. If he stood up and placed the strap around him, the guitar's heavy weight would hurt his broken rib.

Meiling let out a breath. "We can't even hold a concert here. That would break tradition."

"Great." Syaoran's voice dripped with sarcasm and bitterness.

"Ugh, Syaoran, what is wrong with you? Don't you know how serious all this is?"

"No."

"Butthead," Meiling muttered. She then thought about everything that had happened so far.

The coincidental meeting with Sakura…Syaoran hurting his rib…being enrolled in Sakura's school…Syaoran's nose…

Meiling softly laughed at that one.

Her wild shopping day with Sakura and Tomoyo…the chase with the cops…August 21st…the _retarded_ newspaper…

Speaking of which, Meiling needs to punch the writer of that article.

Syaoran's argument with Sakura, and now, the library incident.

Someone was bound to be tired after all of this.

Then, Meiling's eyes flew open.

Why were all of these things connected to Sakura?

* * *

Tomoyo continued with her story. "He became ashamed of his parents and argued with them." 

"Ashamed? What does he have to be _ashamed_ of?!"

"Syaoran was extremely loyal to Soar during the next two years. When he found out his parents were fired by them, he…" Tomoyo trailed off.

"He loves Soar that much?!" Sakura cried out, aghast. "This is his _family_!"

Tomoyo didn't say anything.

"And he still…_ugh!"_ Sakura threw her covers off for the last time and forced her feet over the side of the bed. _That boy…is such a _girl!

"What are you about to do?" Tomoyo slowly asked, sitting up from her bed. "What about your ankle?"

"It's only sprained, and I don't care! He needs to talk to his parents! What sort of an idiot is he?!" Sakura hopped on her good foot. "If he isn't going to talk to them, then I'll force him to!"

"Sakura…"

"By the way…" Sakura said, turning to look at the girl sitting on the bed. Sakura was halfway to the door. "Why did _you_ shout?"

Tomoyo thought about the music Sakura played. Her eyes darkened. "My mom. That's all."

Sakura exasperatedly sighed. "You too?!"

The lead singer glanced down. "I'm fine. Mine isn't that important."

"She's family!" Sakura was so close to strangling her. "Your mom is still your parent!"

She noticed that Tomoyo didn't want to listen, and instead skipped to the door. _Family is still family…_

"Where are you going?" Tomoyo asked.

Sakura smirked. "Going to _hurt_ that punk."

* * *

A ring tone knocked everyone in the room out of their thoughts. Eriol felt his cell vibrating. 

"Hello?" he whispered.

"_Eriol-kun? May I speak to Syaoran, please?"_

"Who is this?"

"_JUST GIVE ME SYAORAN!"_

Eriol fumbled with the phone, surprised by the caller's outburst. "For you?" He motioned Syaoran.

He took it. "Hello?"

_"Hi! I was just wondering about something…"_

Syaoran's face made a confused expression. "Who am I talking to?"

_"Would you like to go to dinner with me?"_

* * *

"She's gone berserk." Ruby made a circling motion with her index finger on the side of her head. "Truly has gone berserk." 

"Tomoyo or Sakura?"

"Both!"

"Ruby, calm down," Yue sighed, turning off the screen that supervised a certain hospital room...

She gasped, "But the greatest secret of Soar was just told to a person who's been hurting our _band_!"

"Might as well get her in, then."

Ruby did _not _just hear what her husband just said. "Excuse me, but, um, WHAT?!"

Yue shrugged. "If she knows, then it would be critical that she becomes one of Soar's."

Ruby crossed her arms and turned her back on him. "You're berserk, too, aren't you?"

"Ruby," he huskily said, wrapping his arms around her waist from the back. "Please, let's just go to sleep." She always liked it when he came from behind.

"No," she pouted.

His lips grazed right below her right ear. "Come on."

"Yue," she growled. _It tickles…_

Yue lusciously kissed the side of her neck. "Everyone's asleep…"

"Get off my neck Yue."

He chuckled. "No."

"Shoo."

"No."

Ruby huffed._ That stupid seducing trick of his…_

_

* * *

_

_"Eh…pardon?"_

Sakura scowled, about to shout at him. " Would. You. Like. To. Go. To. Dinner. With. Me?" 

_"Sa…Sakura?"_

"No, it's Santa Claus."

_"What?"_

"Of course it's _me_!" And he thought she was slow. Sakura impatiently waited for his response.

None came.

Suddenly, she remembered why he wouldn't talk to her.

They practically hurt each other emotionally just some days ago.

Oh, well. Family was more important than pride. She'd start ignoring him if he contacted his parents.

_When_ he starts contacting his parents.

"So, will you?" Sakura feigned to be cheerful just so he could talk to her.

_"I…I don't…"_

"If you say no, I'll hurt your rib," she threatened.

For a girl that had been alone most of her life, she sure sounded like she knew how to torture somebody.

_"Kinomoto…"_

She got tired of his indecisive self. "WILL YOU _PLEASE_ JUST SAY _YES!?_"

* * *

"You know what I like about her?" Tomoyo said quietly to the person on the other line. Sakura could have just asked for her cell phone, but instead, she walked out to the public phone in the hallway. _"What?"_

Tomoyo unconscientiously smiled. "At how she can stand even when everyone else hates her."

_"You mean us?!"_

She gaped into her phone. "We don't hate her! I don't."

_"Well, duh. Her school, then?"_

"Yes."

_"Oh…"_

"Ne, Meiling, I'm pretty sure now."

_"Of what?"_

"Her parents."

_"About Nadeshiko?"_

"Yes."

_"And?!"_

Tomoyo almost laughed at her manager's excitement. "I told you, I'm sure."

_"And?!"_

"I just said it…"

_"No you didn't."_

"I dropped a hint."

_"…"_

Tomoyo shook her head. "Keep thinking."

It took Meiling thirty seconds.

_"OH MY GOSH!"_

* * *

I know I was going to say something important, but I forgot. Anyway, if you're confused with the ending, hah.

Entrancia was:D

I'm evil.

Review and say what you wanna say!

xoxoxoxoxo

Choco


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